Boundless Sky
by Pika-Zukin
Summary: You know the drill. What makes Chiori's journey any different? [chapter 7: Van and Sakura, Ralts and Kouta. And a gym battle.]
1. Attack! Havoc in Rustboro City!

A new OT fic of thousands! Should be fun, huh?  
Pika-Zukin

**Chapter 1  
Attack! Havoc in Rustboro City!**

With a shriek, the girl fell on her backside. The shock of colliding with the pavement distracted her only momentarily from the pain of her arm, the clawed and ripped skin from which blood had begun to ooze. The three Poochyena snarled, poised to attack again, if necessary. 

"Chiori!" Dr. Rougan shouted. 

She stared at her arm, her breathing shaky. 

"Do you see why we have to get rid of them?" Dr. Rougan raised the gun. "I know it's inhumane, but we can't let them run wild and attack people! You can't tame them! No one can!" 

"Chiori!" A young man was running to her. He ignored the Poochyena's growls as he knelt beside her. "Are you okay?" 

"Get her out of here," Dr. Rougan ordered. 

"Please don't kill them!" Chiori cried. "They didn't attack me to be mean! They're just scared!" 

"All the scientists are out around the city doing the same thing I am!" Dr. Rougan told her. "It's for our protection! The mayor, the gym leader... all the officials agree on this! And so do I -- especially after watching those pokémon attack my own daughter!" 

The young man rose to his feet. "She's right, Dad. They're just scared. They've known the people don't want them around, so they retaliated. That's why they have claws and teeth." 

Dr. Rougan sighed. "I know, Midori. I wish there was another way. But, as a representative of Devon Corp, I have to think about the safety of _my_ community." 

Midori closed his eyes and pursed his lips. "Okay," Chiori heard him whisper as he raised his head. "And I have to think about the safety of my community," he said aloud. 

"What--" Chiori started to ask, but he bowed his head again and remained still. 

"Midori!" Dr. Rougan called. "Don't just stand there, take your sister home and get her cleaned up!" 

The air around Midori started to swirl, picking up dust and errant leaves that circled his body. His black trench coat and long hair fluttered elegantly. 

Chiori tore her eyes from him to see the reaction of their father. His mouth hung open in confusion and impatience, but he wasn't saying a word. Then something else caught her attention: the three Poochyena, who now sat on their haunches, looking up at Midori intently. 

She stared at her brother again, who seemed to be locked in some kind of trance. Had so much really happened in just one afternoon? It was such a break from routine... 

--- 

The stack of books in Chiori's hands swayed precariously, causing her to stop in her tracks in order to balance them. Just a few more feet without a spill... 

"Hey, Roxanne!" she called, stepping into the classroom. "I'm back!" 

"Chiori!" She heard her friend's chair scrape against the linoleum, her shoes clicking hastily. 

"No, don't get up!" Chiori protested. "I'm okay--" She stepped backwards, glancing over her shoulder to watch her footing. However, it distracted her from balancing her pile, and as she attempted to stand still again, her foot slipped and she collapsed, the dozen books crashing around her. She shielded her head with her arms as the corner of a book scraped her elbow. 

"Chiori!" Roxanne cried, kneeling beside her. 

"I'm all right." She rubbed her elbow. "It figures, I made it all this way without dropping one of them." She laughed and picked up the ones that had landed open. 

"Why didn't you ask me to help?" Roxanne wondered, gathering four books in her arms. 

"Because you were busy in here. And you said you needed them for upcoming lesson plans, so I thought I'd go get them for you." Chiori got up and carried the other eight books to Roxanne's desk without further incident. 

"You didn't have to do that. I could have managed myself. Just not all at once." 

"Now you don't have to! I just saved you a lot of time." Chiori beamed. 

"You don't need to help me all the time," the young teacher said. "You come here almost every day after you get off school... don't you get tired of being in classrooms all the time? Wouldn't you rather be doing anything else?" 

"Nah, my school is boring. This place doesn't feel like school at all! You study nothing but pokémon here. I wish I could enroll." 

"It's your last year of middle school, right? I don't see why you can't this fall. You're practically a student already at this point." 

Chiori giggled. "And I'd get a recommendation from one of the teachers, huh?" 

"I'm just an aide," Roxanne reminded her. "But are you sure you'd want to study here? You'd be fine doing hands-on pokémon research out in the wild." 

"Aw, trainer's journeys are overrated." Chiori waved her hand, scoffing. "Besides, I want to stay here with you!" 

Roxanne smiled a little sadly. Chiori decided not to say any more. Everyone knew that the trainers' academy was for people who wanted to learn all about care and handling of pokémon, but couldn't actually make the individual journey -- for one reason or another. Chiori, as bright and healthy as any fourteen-year-old should be, had no need to obtain a pokémon education indoors, and she knew very well that her presence at the academy would make the other students feel worse about their hindrances. 

"Um," she began, determined to change the subject. "Oh, yeah! Guess what?" 

"What's that?" 

"My big brother's coming to visit today! I haven't seen him in over a year, not since we moved here. I can't wait!" 

"That's wonderful!" Roxanne smiled. "He stayed in Vermilion City?" 

"Yup! But he should be here really soon. He said he'd be in time for dinner." 

"You'd better go get ready, then." 

"Are you sure you don't need anything else?" Chiori asked, concerned. "I'll stick around if you do -- my mom can tell Midori I'm here." 

"No, no, you go ahead. I'll be fine, don't worry. I'll be here for awhile, grading these papers and then making my lesson plans for the next week." 

"Okay... but I'll bring him here to meet you! Is that okay?" 

Roxanne could resist giggling at her friend's enthusiasm. "Sure is. I look forward to it." 

Chiori raced home, a grin spreading across her face as she looked forward to the evening. Her backpack full of her own schoolbooks thumped against her back, but she didn't mind. She rounded the corner of the block, her house in sight, and she stopped short, gasping for breath. Trash cans were overturned all down the sidewalk, garbage strewn everywhere. Just as Chiori realized what had happened, she saw the can in front of her house's fence moving. Two wild Poochyena backed out of it, dragging scraps of food in their mouths. 

"Hey! Get out of there!" Chiori shouted, racing at them. They narrowed their eyes at her and growled, but fled as she approached. Chiori sighed and looked around at the scattered garbage. "Man," she sighed, "they're worse than the Zigzagoon. At least they have the decency not to knock over the cans." 

She entered her house. "Hi!" she called, kicked off her shoes. "Is he here yet?" 

Her mom came out to greet her, a large spoon in her hand. "Not yet," she said with a smile. 

"Okay, I have time for a shower!" Chiori started up the stairs. "By the way, Mom, the Poochyena were back." 

"Not again! We've really got to do something about them. Did you hear? The Folsoms' youngest boy was attacked by one." 

Chiori paused. "Is he all right?" 

"He will be, yes. Just be on your guard when you're outside." 

"I always am!" She ran upstairs to her room, throwing down her backpack and getting ready for her shower. When she was done, she threw on her new shorts and a favorite t-shirt and shook her long pink hair, hoping it would dry quickly. She always noticed how students at the trainers' academy didn't have to wear uniforms. She hung hers up in the closet for the weekend, glad not to have to see it for two days. 

"Chiori!" her mother called from downstairs. "We have company!" 

Chiori shrieked and tore out of her room, flying down the stairs. "Mi-do-riii!" she cried, leaping into her brother's open arms. He laughed and hugged her, lifting her a few inches off the floor. Over six feet tall, with long, bright red hair that literally flowed over his shoulders and down his back, Midori always made an impressionable entrance, mainly because he wore his black trench coat even in warm weather. He slid it off and hung it up this time, however. "It's good to see you too, Chiori," he said, smiling and ruffling her damp hair. "You're getting really tall." 

The top of Chiori's head now came to his shoulders. "You watch out, I'll be as big as you someday!" she said proudly. 

"How was your trip here? Are you hungry?" their mother asked. "Do take off your boots, dear, and come sit down... I'm still making dinner, and your father will be home soon." She bounced from one thought to another, excited at seeing her grown son for the first time in a year. 

Midori chuckled. "Same as ever around here, I see. I'm fine, and my trip was too long in getting here." 

"Can I get you anything now?" 

"No, thank you. I'm just glad to be here." He unlaced his boots, setting them by the door and following her and Chiori towards the kitchen. "What's with all the garbage on the street, though?" 

"We're being plagued by wild Poochyena," Chiori explained. "No one knows how to stop them... but I'm going to talk to my friend Roxanne about them after we eat. Remember her? I want you to meet her! Will you come with me?" 

"Of course! I'd be glad to meet your friend I keep hearing about." 

"You two had best go now, then," their mother said. "It might be too late after dinner... Dad and I want to see Midori as much as possible, you know." 

"Awww, okay. We'll be quick!" Chiori tugged on Midori's hand. "Do you mind? I know you just got here, but..." 

"It's alright. I'll rest when it's bedtime, huh?" He grinned and followed her to the door, stepping into his boots again. 

"Roxanne?" Chiori called for her friend as they neared her room at the school. She found her still at the desk, sorting through paperwork. "I'm back! And I brought someone for you to meet!" 

Roxanne looked over her shoulder. "Hi, Chiori. So this is the famous big brother? It's nice to meet you." 

Midori stepped up to her before she could rise, holding out his hand and smiling. "The pleasure is all mine, milady. I do hope we haven't interrupted anything important." He seemed to have a glittering aura around him all of a sudden, his change in tone and behavior reminding Chiori of certain boys in anime. 

Roxanne's eyes were wide, startled by Midori's formality. Chiori was a little surprised, too; when had he started acting like this? 

"Oh... no," Roxanne said. "I was just about to take a break and watch the news." She nodded at the nearby television set, sitting atop a tall, wheeled cart. 

"Allow me." Midori turned the volume up on it. Roxanne looked at Chiori with a raised eyebrow. Chiori shrugged in her defense. 

"So what befalls Rustboro City on this fine spring evening?" Midori asked. 

"What befalls _you_?" Chiori replied, giggling. He gave her a bemused look. 

"Eh?" Roxanne said suddenly. Her attention was solely on the news, in which the young reporter was holding a microphone up to an older woman, a town celebrity. 

"Yes, that's right," she spoke into it. "It was an honor to give the very last Thorn Badge to such a skilled young trainer. It finalizes my whole career." The caption at the bottom of the screen read _Aspen Celandine: Rustboro City Gym Leader, now retired._

The camera cut to a girl, barely Chiori's age. "I had no idea this would happen," she said breathlessly. It seemed as though the interview was conducted right after the battle. "It's my first badge, but I feel like it's the most important one." _May Armstrong: Hoenn League Participant,_ the caption read. 

"It's happening so fast, the new wave of gym leaders sweeping the region," Aspen said. "Flynn retired just last month -- Wattson is the only one of my generation left. I hope he represents us all well." 

"Wow," Chiori whispered. "I never thought about it... what are the trainers going to do? That girl's really lucky, getting the last Thorn Badge." 

"Someone will take her place," Midori said. There was a blurb on the screen about how Flynn's granddaughter had assumed control of the Lavaridge Gym as soon as he'd retired. 

"It's not that easy," Roxanne said. "Aspen never raised a family or anything. No one inherits the gym." 

"No relatives anywhere?" Midori asked. Roxanne shrugged. 

"Do you have anyone in mind to replace you?" the reporter asked. 

"Nope." Aspen, a well-mannered and strong-looking lady for her age, smiled at the camera. "I want this to be an opportunity for aspiring gym leaders across Hoenn. There are many specialists in pokémon types -- I don't want the Rustboro Gym to be associated with grass-types forever." 

"And how do you propose to choose one of possibly dozens?" the reporter asked. 

"Why, with a hearing at this year's Gym Leaders' Convention, of course. Every hopeful gym leader is invited to state her case, and I will be there to select the best candidate, along with the other leaders and the members of the Elite." Aspen bowed slightly. 

"How generous of her," Midori commented. "Your Gym Leaders' Convention will be interesting. When is it?" 

"In August," Chiori said. "Wow, then Rustboro will be the focal point of a lot of attention after that... we'd better do something about our pest problem before then. Hey, Roxanne?" 

Roxanne was staring hard at her desk, not particularly at any of the papers that lay spread out. "Roxanne?" Chiori asked again. 

"Huh?" The young teacher snapped out of her trance. 

"What is it? What's wrong?" 

"It's nothing. Just silliness." She shuffled some of the papers around. 

"What?" Chiori persisted, worry tugging at her voice. 

Roxanne sighed. "I just wondered what it would be like to be a gym leader. That's all." 

"You want to be the leader? That's awesome!" Chiori gushed. "You'd be perfect! You know hundreds of battle techniques and how to handle pokémon of all sorts--" 

"But I don't actually have any of my own." 

Chiori blinked and looked up at her brother, who was listening quietly. It had never occurred to her that Roxanne, a pokémon genius, didn't have any creatures for herself. "Well, that's easily fixed! Go capture some! It'll be easy for someone like you." 

She sighed again, shifting in her chair. "Perhaps... but I can't go to the convention. It's too far away." 

"Nah, it'd be okay! And it's months from now, you'll have plenty of time to get there. That's why they hold it during summer vacation." 

"And did you ever think someone in my condition doesn't travel well?" Roxanne snapped abruptly. 

Chiori clamped a hand over her mouth. It was always so easy to forget about her friend's poor health. Her bright attitude and vast knowledge made up for her shallow breathing and fragile build. And only a couple of hours ago she had brought Roxanne's books to her, so she wouldn't have to struggle with them herself. She felt a twinge of guilt for even thinking that the older girl couldn't carry a few books now and then. 

"I'm sorry," Roxanne said softly. "It's just... it's everything. The people want gym leaders who are strong in both mind and body. That's why the League picks people who have been all over the country... or are at least related to someone who has. I knew Aspen was going to retire sooner or later, and I always thought that it would be nice if I could take her place... if I could become stronger by doing it." 

"Of course you can," Midori spoke at last, dropping his impressive formality for a normal speaking voice, a serious one. "I hardly think your assessment of the League is correct, either. Where do you think we are, Kanto?" 

Chiori smirked. 

"Your pokémon are the ones who battle, not you," Midori continued. "All you have to do is control them from the background, and that's all mind power. And, if what Chiori has told me about your knowledge is true, then you must be more than qualified for the job." 

"It's April now," Chiori said. "You can catch some pokémon really easily, and have a little while to train them, and, by August, you'll be all set! You won't have classes to maintain during all that time, you know." At Roxanne's pause, she added, "I'll go with you! Anywhere you want, I'll help. Think about it over the week, and next weekend we'll go pokémon hunting, okay?" 

Roxanne looked from her to Midori, stunned. "Okay," she agreed, smiling a little. 

"Yay!" Chiori clapped her hands. 

They bade Roxanne good night after that, heading home for their waiting dinner. "This is going to be great!" Chiori declared. "I really hope she can be a gym leader. I can tell she doesn't want to be a teacher for the rest of her life. Oh! There's the pokémon mart! I'd better get some pokéballs!" She raced towards the store. 

"Aren't you getting kind of an early start?" Midori asked, following her inside. 

"Might as well, since I'm here! I'll give Roxanne some pokéballs to show her I'm serious!" She picked up a package of a half-dozen basic pokéballs, 

"You know, Chiori," Midori said as they left the store. "Catching pokémon works better when you weaken them a little bit, so their guard is down. And the best way to do that is through a battle... with a pokémon you already have." 

"Ehh!?" Chiori snapped her head up to look at him. "But... how are you supposed to get a pokémon in the first place, then?" 

Midori chuckled. "That's the hardest part, usually." 

Chiori groaned and went back to swinging the plastic bag with her new purchase. 

Their father, a scientist at Devon Corp, the largest center of pokémon research and technology in Hoenn, was home when they returned, and dinner was ready. The family was hearing about Midori's travels over the past year, enjoying all the finely-prepared food, when there was a clatter and much loud barking. 

"Already?" Dr. Rougan rushed to the window. 

"Chiori, did you ask Roxanne about those Poochyena?" Mrs. Rougan questioned. 

Chiori's blue eyes went wide. "Auugh, I forgot! We got caught up in the news -- Aspen, the gym leader, retired today!" 

"Yes, I saw," said Mrs. Rougan as a melodic but muffled beep went off. Her husband, still at the window, reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellular phone. 

"Is that so?" he said. "I see." A pause. "All right, I'll be there as soon as I can." He refolded and repocketed his phone. "They just held a meeting in town hall about what to do with the Poochyena influx. They want all of us at Devon to capture them for shipping out to the woods, which is probably where they came from." He bent over his plate and shoveled in the last of his potatoes. 

"Right now?" Mrs. Rougan asked. "But it's getting dark." 

"They're nocturnal." He swallowed his food in a huge gulp. "This is the best time to get them." 

"You're not going to hurt them, are you?" Chiori insisted. 

"No one wants to. Don't worry, we've got little cage-traps for their transport. If they don't cooperate, the worst they'll get is a mild shock. They'll be fine." His family followed him to the door. "Sorry about this, Midori. I'd let you come along, but they want us professionals only." 

"Meanwhile, who's the one with pokémon of his own?" Midori said in good humor as Dr. Rougan drove off. 

"Hey, yeah!" Chiori piped up. "Do you think I could borrow one to help Roxanne catch hers?" 

Midori chuckled. "Not likely. I've got to take them back home with me, after all." 

Chiori pouted a little as Mrs. Rougan started clearing the table. "Hopefully your father and his colleagues will set things right. And hopefully that will mean no more overturned trash cans. Chiori," she added pointedly. 

"Okay," she agreed reluctantly. 

Midori smiled. "I'll come with you." 

He graciously picked up the slimier bits of garbage. When they had finished, Chiori placed the trash can's lid on as tightly as she could. "Maybe I should catch one of these Poochyena to help out Roxanne," she said. "Though I'd feel bad for the others that have to be stunned and shipped away." 

"It's for the best," Midori said. "And like Dad said, they'll be all right. Better once they're back in the wild where they belong." 

Suddenly a shot fired in the distance, followed by a Poochyena's yelp. Others barked in protest. Chiori and Midori exchanged a horrified look. "Let's find Dad," Midori said. 

"Are you sure?" 

"Positive." He started down the sidewalk. Chiori gulped and followed him. 

"I don't see any Poochyena," she said after a little while. 

"I know." Midori kept turning his head, keeping his eyes open. 

"Hey, is that Dad?" Chiori pointed down the street. 

Midori squinted. "It is. You go ask him if everything's all right. I'm going to go look around a little more." 

"Okay. Be careful." 

"Naturally." He gave her a smile and hurried off, his coat flapping behind him. 

"Dad?" Chiori called as she approached. She saw three Poochyena in front of him, and a couple of small cages at his feet. As she got closer, she always saw a gun in his hand. "What are you doing?" she cried. 

He snapped his head up. "Chiori, stay back!" 

She didn't listen, running as fast as she could to his side. "You said you weren't going to hurt them!" 

"We had a change in plans. The captures we attempted earlier didn't really work -- they started attacking us. This is a safety precaution. We're still trying to be gentle, but if they won't cooperate..." 

Chiori remembered the gun shot she'd heard earlier. "You can't! It's not right!" 

"I'm sorry. These aren't garden pests like Zigzagoon, they're vicious, _carnivorous_ pokémon!" 

"They're attacking because they see you have guns! It's _their_ safety precaution!" Chiori darted between her father and the three Poochyena. 

"Chiori, move! You shouldn't even be out here, anyway! What's your brother doing?" 

She ignored him and turned to the pokémon, kneeling before them. "I won't let him hurt you," she said, holding out her hand. "Just go into the cage for a little bit, and we'll take you to the woods. Doesn't that sound nice?" 

Everything happened in a blur of motion: a Poochyena leapt at her outstretched arm, Dr. Rougan yelled her name, and Chiori tumbled backwards, more in shock than in pain... 

--- 

She felt blood trickle down her arm, but her gaze was transfixed upon Midori. Dr. Rougan was calling to him now, but if he heard his father, Midori paid him no mind. 

Dr. Rougan gave up yelling after a few minutes. Several more would pass before the air around Midori became still. The red-haired boy opened his eyes slowly and stumbled back a few steps. 

"Midori!" Chiori exclaimed. 

He gave her a tired smile. "It's all right now," he said. 

"Huh?" She blinked at him. The Poochyena darted past her, running away from the scene and barking, a calling out rather than a threat. Chiori stared after them with wide eyes. "What's going on?" 

"I told them they'd better leave for the forest themselves," Midori answered. 

Chiori whipped her head around back to him, her hair flipping up to her face as she did. "You _what_?" 

Two more Poochyena raced past them, following the path of the first three. Midori held out his hands to Chiori and pulled her to her feet. "Here." He handed her tissues from his coat pocket. "Sorry I didn't give you these earlier. I was a little distracted." 

"That's okay," Chiori said absently, dabbing her wound. 

Dr. Rougan's cell phone rang. "Yeah, mine too," he said to the caller. "I think they all just decided they'd better run to safety on their own." 

Chiori winced at she pressed the tissues against her arm. Dr. Rougan finished his call and pocketed his cell phone. "I don't know what just happened," he said. "I don't think I want to know. I'm going back to Devon." He picked up the cages. "See you kids back home." 

Midori placed a hand on Chiori's shoulder and turned her the opposite way, towards their house. "Dad's really freaked out," Chiori said. 

"Of course. He's a scientist, and there's no explanation for him." 

Chiori opened her mouth to ask, but Midori spoke first. "You remember Dengon, don't you? My Sneasel?" 

"Yeah... no one knew what she was, because Sneasel aren't found in Kanto. It took you a couple of years to learn what she was, too." Chiori smiled at the memory, at the time when she and Midori lived in Vermilion together. "Why? You still have her, don't you?" 

"Of course. I have more pokémon since I've seen you. There's Shinraiko, my Umbreon, and Sorataro the Murkrow..." 

Chiori raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to get to the point. 

"All my new pokémon are dark-types," Midori went on. "They all came to me on their own. And Poochyena are dark-types. So they are willing to listen to me." 

"Whoa, wait," Chiori said. "You can talk to pokémon? With your _mind_?" 

"The Poochyena told me they left the forest because of all the young trainers chasing after them. They wound up here, and liked picking through our garbage a little better than hunting down food. More choices here, apparantly." He smirked. "But I explained to them that it was no longer safe here, that the humans had stooped to killing them. So they agreed to go back to the forest. Annoying kid trainers are better than armed grown-ups any day." 

"I can't believe you can just _talk_ to them!" Chiori declared. "Will you teach me? It'll be easy because we're related, right?" 

Midori smiled sadly. "It's nothing something you can teach, I'm afraid. It's... more like a talent." 

"No way! I'm going to learn how! When I have pokémon, we'll be so close that we'll know each other's thoughts all the time!" 

"Well, any trainer who's good to her pokémon can understand their feelings," Midori said with a grin. "But just don't expect to speak their language." 

From behind them came a soft, inquisitive yip. The siblings paused and turned around to see a Poochyena, who had been following them. It stopped as well, lifting a forepaw and licked it delicately. Then it tilted its head as it stared at Midori. 

He chuckled. "I might have guessed," he said aloud. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a pokéball, which he handed to Chiori. "I thought I'd come prepared." 

"Huh?" Chiori looked from the ball to him. 

"She wants to come with me. Just like Dengon and the others. But I asked if she'd mind staying with you instead." 

"With me?" Chiori asked incredulously. "But you're the dark-type... guy." She fumbled for a word. 

"She says that's all right." 

Chiori squeezed the tissues to her arm and chewed on her bottom lip. Midori smiled patiently. At last, Chiori reached for the ball with her free hand, the one on the injured arm. 

"Press once to enlarge it," said Midori. "And again to activate. Then give it a toss. It'll take care of the rest." 

"I don't have to weaken it? You said that's how it worked." 

"Normally, yes. But she's perfectly willing, so it's all right." 

Chiori pressed the white button on the middle of the ball's face twice and flung it gently towards the Poochyena. It hovered above her head, and she watched curiously as its red beam engulfed her body, twisting her form and sucking her inside. Chiori's eyes were wide as saucers as the ball clattered to the sidewalk and rolled around a bit, still glowing. "It... it turned into..." 

"She's fine. That's how a pokéball works, after all," said Midori. 

"Wow..." Chiori picked up the ball, which was opaque and unable to show her new capture. 

"You can name her anything you want," Midori told her. "Just be sure to call her by it often, so she learns it." 

"Hmmm." Chiori looked around in thought. Then she giggled and declared, "Isis! From my favorite anime, remember?" 

Midori laughed. "Good choice." 

She clutched her pokéball protectively in her free hand. "Thank you, Midori! I promise I'll take the best care of her." 

"I know you will. Now we'd better get home and get that taken care of." He looked down at her arm. 

"I hope Mom won't be mad that I brought home the kind of pokémon that did this." Chiori laughed nervously and looked up at the sky, where stars were beginning to shine. Then she noticed that Midori had started walking again, and she hurried to catch up to him. 


	2. Blame! Pokémon of Granite Cave!

Look who's on a roll!  
I kind of want to apologize for the length, but the sweetness at the end makes it worthwhile. Also, Roxanne's more fun to write than I imagined.  
P-Z

**Chapter 2  
Blame! Pokémon of Granite Cave!**

Though the end of the semester was drawing to a close, Chiori was far more excited about helping Roxanne catch pokémon than she was about graduating middle school. It was their planned voyage that kept her spirits up after her brother, Midori, left. During his week-long visit, he'd helped Chiori train Isis a little, thanks to his connection to dark-types. Once he'd departed on Friday morning, Chiori automatically went to her room to pack some things for her trip with Roxanne the next day. 

"Chiori?" Mrs. Rougan stood inside the door frame. "You can take care of that when you get back from school. Come downstairs and finish breakfast." 

"I just want to make sure!" Chiori said with her head in the closet. "Roxanne thinks we might even have to spend the night in a pokémon center! I'd better pack a change of clothes." 

She thought her mother had gone, due to the silence that followed. She gasped, startled, when she heard her speak again. "Chiori, honey, listen." 

"Uh?" She crawled backwards from her closet, shaking her loose pink hair. 

"Your father and I, we're happy you have a pokémon," said Mrs. Rougan. "We think Isis will teach you a lot of responsibility." 

"Yeah!" Chiori grinned. "So far I'm responsible for showing the neighbors that Poochyena aren't destructive pests!" 

"And that's good... everyone is relieved that the Poochyena went on their way. And Isis is very well-behaved. I'm surprised." 

"Me too." Chiori wasn't sure if capture had mellowed Isis, or if she'd had a laid-back personality to begin with, but she was a gentle and demure pokémon. She ate her store-bought food neatly, she always waited by the back door for someone to take her outside for business, and her primary concern was grooming herself. Chiori had lain out an old blanket in a wide wicker basket beside her bed, where Isis was presently taking her post-breakfast nap. 

"But anyway..." her mother continued. "Will you think about something, when you get the chance?" 

"Sure!" Chiori was always happy to oblige. 

"You know next month is the end of the school year. Which means your graduation's coming up..." 

"I said I'd wear the dress. It's a little tight, but it's better than buying a new one I'll never wear again." 

"No, not that... are you really serious about wanting to apply to the trainers' academy?" 

"You bet!" Chiori perked up at the topic. 

Mrs. Rougan nodded. "Then this summer, I think you need to show your father and me that you're ready." 

"Huh?" Her smile faded. 

"You're prepared to forego high school and immerse yourself in pokémon study? To dedicate your life to some field in pokémon care?" 

"Well... yeah," Chiori said slowly. "I thought we had that talk already, and it was okay with you and Dad." 

"It is, it is." Mrs. Rougan sniffed idly, rubbing her nose and looking around the room. "But we've been talking, and we even asked Midori about this. We all think you could benefit from a little after-school tutoring this fall." 

"What?" Chiori snapped into an upright position. "Why?" 

"Because no one should stop their general education at middle school level. Certainly no daughter of a Devon scientist." 

"But... I don't like regular school! I'm not going to use any of that history or reading stuff, I'm going to do something with pokémon!" 

"That's fine, dear. Far be it for anyone in this family to keep you from that. But you're going to be a well-rounded pokémon student, or else you'll be enrolling in public high school." 

Chiori chewed on her bottom lip. "Okay," she mumbled. 

"Something else, too. We want you to do something with yourself this summer." 

She looked up at her mother. "I'm going to be training Isis with Roxanne, I know that much." 

Mrs. Rougan nodded. "That's good. But, well... I think you need to make some more friends." 

Chiori's shoulders fell. "You've been telling us how Roxanne wants to be the gym leader here," her mom went on. "If she is, she won't have a lot of time to spend with you." 

"No, that's the good part! She said I could be her assistant!" 

Mrs. Rougan shook her head. "There are programs over the summer for academy students to participate in... contests and camps, that sort of thing. You should pick one you want to do and get to know the kids you'll be going to school with." 

"But I've got plans for--" 

"I'll not have you going through yet another school without bothering to make a friend or two. It's important. Got that, Chiori? Summer activities and after-school tutoring this fall, or no trainers' academy." 

Chiori's eyes stung, and she stared at her blue-grey carpet. 

"All right?" her mother prompted. 

"Yeah." 

"Good. Now pick up that stuff on the floor and come finish your breakfast." She left, her feet thudding down the stairs. Chiori sighed and did as she was told. 

The next day, she gratefully set out with Roxanne, who had arranged a boat ride with Mr. Briney, a friend of her parents. He waited for them at Rustboro's north beach, along with a Wingull perched on his shoulder, whom he introduced as Peeko. "'Tis a lovely morning," he said in his weathered voice. "Are ye planning a holiday in Dewford Town today? Did ye bring your bathing suits?" 

"No," Roxanne said matter-of-factly. "This is a trip strictly for business. It's a little early in the year to be swimming, don't you think?" 

"Rest assured th' water isn't cold at all 'round Dewford Isle. Everyone practically lives on th' beach. It might be customary for tourists to take a dip in th' drink, even. Don't want to insult th' locals, do ye?" 

"Can I go back and get my suit?" Chiori asked eagerly. "I have a new one this year! I want to try it out!" 

Roxanne took a deep breath. "Not this time. You'll get plenty of chances to go swimming this summer, I'm sure. So let's get going before it gets any later." 

Just like a teacher, Roxanne had brought along a basic pokémon encyclopedia, that, for its abridged information, was still pretty bulky. She studied the two pages on a pokémon called Nosepass, which lived exclusively in Dewford Island's Granite Cave. She'd decided she was going to specialize in rock-types, because she admired their solid strength. She'd already obtained a well-trained Geodude in a trade with one of her students, but no one had a Nosepass. 

"Its nose is magnetic. It can always find north," Roxanne explained, showing Chiori a picture. Chiori glanced at it, but her attention was divided between two other things, her sketchbook in her lap, and Isis; the Poochyena, having never been on a boat before, was exploring everything in sight, especially the edge. She was fascinated by the sea. 

"It's really difficult to catch," Roxanne went on. "That's why it would make a worthy pokémon for a gym leader." 

"Yeah!" Chiori beamed at her, glad she was encouraged. "What else is in this cave, anyway? Anything rare?" 

Roxanne flipped back to the pages that gave an overview of the small island's cave. "Mainly Zubat and Aron," she said. "There are a couple more rare kinds of pokémon, yes." She showed Chiori some pictures of Sableye and Mawile, pokémon that normally kept to the shadows and away from curious humans. 

Chiori looked at the picture. "Those are bizarre. And scary... is that its mouth?" She pointed at the Mawile's picture. 

Roxanne nodded. "I think so." She flipped the page and looked up. "Don't you think Isis should stay in her ball?" 

"But I wanted her to look around! This is exciting for her." 

"And it's your responsibility to make sure she doesn't fall overboard. You never know what could happen out here." 

"You make it sound like I can't keep an eye on her." 

"No... it's just that they invented pokéballs for a reason. You're not going to see me bring a Nosepass out on deck, are you?" 

Chiori sighed heavily and fished her pokéball out of her backpack. "All right. Sorry, Isis," she said as she pushed the white button, activating the device and withdrawing her Poochyena inside. 

As she pocketed the ball, Roxanne leaned over to look at her sketch. "That's pretty good. He's that anime character you like, right? You showed me other pictures before." 

"Yeah, it's Malik." Chiori beamed. 

"You drew him from memory? You're pretty talented." 

"Aww." Chiori grinned, flattered, and gazed at her sketch of Malik, who stared back at her with wide, accepting eyes. 

The rest of the ride was peaceful, with Chiori sketching and Roxanne reading. "There's Dewford," Roxanne said after awhile, pointing at the small stretch of land ahead of them. 

"Thank you for the ride, Mr. Briney," she said to the driver as they docked. 

"No trouble at all," the old captain replied. "Just let me know when ye be wantin' to return." 

"We won't be long," Chiori promised. "And, um... sorry about Isis. It's her first time out to sea, and she got a little excited." 

"That's why they call it a poop deck, y'know." Mr. Briney laughed good-naturedly. Peeko, now perched on the railing, squawked in what sounded like laughter as well. 

The girls' shoes sank in the soft sand, but they were too absorbed in taking in the sights of the beach town to mind. "The air here is so nice," Chiori remarked. "This would be a great place to live." 

"Yeah." Roxanne looked around thoughtfully. 

"Hello!" someone called out to them. "I didn't mean to be late! I'm sorry!" A young man with light blue, windswept hair ran up to them. He grinned, catching his breath. "Are you Roxanne?" 

"Yes," she answered. "You're Brawly, the gym leader?" 

"At your service!" He shook her hand gently but eagerly. "Who's this with you?" He smiled at Chiori next, his bright teeth almost shining in the sunlight. 

"This is Chiori. She has her Poochyena to help out." 

Chiori looked from Roxanne to the gym leader. "He was expecting us?" 

"Did I not tell you? I contacted him for his assistance. His specialty is fighting-types, which will be pretty beneficial in Granite Cave, according to my research." 

Brawly laughed modestly and shook Chiori's hand as well. "It's great to meet you, as well," he said. "I hope it doesn't take too long to find you a Nosepass -- you don't want to spend this beautiful day wandering around a cave. Did you bring bathing suits?" 

Roxanne sighed and closed her eyes. "I don't think we'd have time for swimming," Chiori said quickly. "I'm sure our ride wants to get back home as soon as possible, too." 

"Aww, I understand," said Brawly. "Maybe next time? It's almost summer vacation, isn't it?" 

"Yeah!" Chiori clapped her hands together. 

"We'll see," Roxanne said simply, ready to get going. 

As they headed for the cave, Brawly told them about how Dewford Town would see a lot of vacationers, particularly those interested in watching the surfing tournaments. "I participate now and then," he said without a trace of bragging. "I haven't won yet, but, you know... I don't have time to practice. Summer is also when a lot of trainers come by. It's kind of hard, managing a gym schedule and everything else you want to do. I hear the best way is just to devote everything to gym leading... but that's too stressful for me. I gotta have time to do other things I like, or else I'd go nuts." 

"Yeah, I never thought about that, Roxanne," Chiori said. "How are you going to manage teaching and leading a gym?" 

"You're a teacher?" Brawly asked, impressed. "Wow, did you already finish school? I didn't think you looked old enough." 

"I'm still in school. I'm just a student teacher," Roxanne said quietly. "I might be a full-time gym leader instead, I don't know." 

"Just don't push yourself," Brawly said. "You have your whole life ahead of you." 

She didn't look at him, just stared ahead as they approached the cave. Brawly glanced at Chiori, who shrugged, and no one said any more on the topic. 

Roxanne was flipping through her encyclopedia as they reached the cave. "You're not going to take that in, are you?" Brawly asked. 

"Of course I am," she answered a little defiantly. 

"I think it might be a bit of a burden," Chiori said. "Here." She started to take off her backpack. 

"I'll be fine." Roxanne snapped the book shut and held on to it. Chiori readjusted her bag, perplexed by her friend's sudden change in attitude. 

The cave was vast and clear, and a group of miners was working on the other side of it. "We won't find any pokémon on this level," said Brawly. "Not with these guys around." He waved at them as they approached. 

"Hey, Brawly!" one of the men said. "Bring another tour group?" 

"Sort of. We're just looking for pokémon." 

"Good luck." He handed them three hard hats with lights on top, and gave a flashlight to Brawly. "Lately some guys from the pokémon protection agency have been poking around in the lower levels, checking out everything... or trying to. They've been getting attacked, so be careful. You might want to take these, too." He handed Brawly some large vials. 

"We will be. Thanks!" Brawly pocketed the bottles and donned the hat, his wild blue hair sticking out from the rim. 

"Either of you ladies interested in some evolution stones?" the miner asked. "I'll give you a discount." 

"None of that, now. They're _my_ guests." Brawly grinned. "Ready, you two?" 

"Should I let Isis out?" Chiori asked, putting on her own hat. 

"Better wait 'til we get down there first." Brawly pointed at the wide hole beside them. "Right, follow me!" He started down the ladder, mounted on the wall of the man-made hole. 

"You next," Roxanne muttered to Chiori. "I don't want him looking up my skirt." 

Chiori blinked. "I think he'd be looking down as his footing instead of up... there." She blushed a little. "What's wrong? You act like you can't stand him." 

"Hmph." Roxanne didn't answer directly. 

"He's just being nice! He isn't trying anything, I can tell!" 

"Roxanne? Chiori?" Brawly called up. 

"Well, I like him," Chiori said, stepping down on the ladder. "And besides, _you_ asked for his help." 

"Yeah, before I knew he was some airheaded surfer boy." 

"Watch your step, now," Brawly said as the girls reached the bottom. "We've got to cross this floor, too -- the ladder for the next level is on the other side, and down there, we'll find your Nosepass." 

Roxanne, who had carried her encyclopedia under her arm while descending, nodded vaguely for a reply, staring at the rocks from her helmet's light as though they were more interesting. 

Chiori shrieked as something flew by her ear. She saw leathery wings flutter before her eyes. "A Zubat!" Brawly exclaimed. "Chiori, don't move! You'll be fine!" 

"Geodude, tackle!" Roxanne shouted. Chiori yelped again as Geodude whisked by her head, attacking the Zubat. Brawly turned his headlight in its direction, revealing Roxanne's pokémon pinning the Zubat to the ground. 

"The light startles them," Brawly said as Roxanne recalled Geodude into its ball. "You have fast reflexes, Roxanne. That's gym leader material right there." 

"Thanks," she mumbled, holding tight to her pokéball. 

"Were Zubat the ones attacking the agent guys, then?" Chiori asked. 

"I don't think so," Brawly replied. "I have a feeling about which pokémon were, though. We should be safe as long as we don't wander into their territory." He clicked on the flashlight. "This way." 

Roxanne's Geodude took care of another Zubat, but their next encounter was crawling at a slow pace by their feet. "Stand aside," Brawly said, reaching for a pokéball. "That's an Aron. They're weak against my fighting-types. Take care of it, Machop!" He whipped his arm as he tossed the ball, sending out Machop with a flourish. It delivered a kick to the passing Aron, which flew into the shadows with a metallic clatter. 

"Super effective!" Brawly announced, punching the air. "Good job, Machop!" 

Roxanne stared at him in disbelief. "It wasn't even attacking us, you show-off!" She bolted in the direction Machop had kicked it. 

"I was not!" Brawly blurt out. He looked at Chiori desperately. "It might have attacked us... right?" 

She scratched her head. "I don't know." 

He sighed and folded his arms across his chest. Roxanne came back, carrying the Aron in her arms. "Give me a potion, you clod," she said to Brawly. 

"No need to get all uptight about it," he mumbled, digging one of the vials from his pocket. Roxanne popped it open and fed its contents to the Aron. It shook its steel-armored head a little, but made no attempt to get down. 

"Going to keep it?" Chiori asked. "I think it likes you." The Aron nestled itself comfortably in the older girl's arms, as if preparing for a nap. 

"It's heavy," she said. "I... I suppose I could. The least I could do is make sure it's going to be all right." She cast a dark look at Brawly as Chiori handed her an empty pokéball. Setting Aron on the ground, Roxanne activated the ball. The pokémon put up no fight, just looked at her expectantly. 

"Now was that so bad?" Brawly asked. "Thanks to me, you have another pokémon for your gym. Aron are good, they're dual types." 

"Hmph." Roxanne handed the ball back to Chiori to store in her backpack. 

They were quiet as they continued onward. Roxanne kept her eyes on the ground, watching her footing, but Chiori was more interested in their surroundings. Whenever she was sure the path was clear, she turned her head, taking in what she could in her helmet's beam. Once she was certain she saw a pair of glittering eyes near a stalactite, and she remembered the picture of Sableye in Roxanne's encyclopedia. 

"Here we are," Brawly said at last, stopping in front of another hole. "This leads to the lowest level. Want to take a break first?" 

"Not necessary," Roxanne said, waving her hand. Chiori thought she heard her friend breathing awkwardly, but said nothing about it. 

No sooner had they walked a few paces from the ladder's bottom than Roxanne fell to her knees. The encyclopedia flew from her hands, crashing against a rock. Chiori raced to her side immediately. 

"I'm fine," Roxanne said between gasps. 

"Are you sure about this?" Brawly picked up the book, brushing it off. He handed it to Chiori. 

"Yes, I'm sure!" Roxanne's head snapped up. Brawly ducked slightly and shielded his eyes from her helmet light. 

"I'll hold on to this for you," Chiori suggested, breaking the awkward silence that followed. She stuck the book inside her backpack. She wondered if she should offer to help Roxanne walk the rest of the way when she heard distant shuffling. Securing her bag's shoulder straps, Chiori aimed her helmet light in the direction of the sound and saw several bulky forms moving in a single file. "Oh!" she exclaimed softly. 

"What?" Brawly asked. 

"Aren't those Nosepass?" 

Roxanne shone her light in the same place as Chiori's. "They are!" she whispered. 

"How about that?" Brawly lowered his voice a little. "Looks like our expedition just got easier!" 

"But my encyclopedia specifically says that Nosepass make their nests within rock fortresses and stay there. They shouldn't be on the move like that." 

"Um... well, they have to get to their fortresses sometime, right?" Chiori suggested. "Or maybe they're moving to find more room." 

"No, this isn't right. I think they've been forced out of their nests." 

"You don't know that," Chiori said. "And I don't think it's a good idea to stick around this cave any longer than we have to. After what those guys at the top said--" 

"It's my duty as a rock-type specialist to see to the well-being of these Nosepass!" Roxanne declared, regaining strength enough to speak more loudly. She started to pick herself up, and gave Chiori a glare as she helped her stand. 

"You're right," Brawly said. "That's very noble of you, Roxanne." 

Chiori spun around and gave him a wide-eyed, open-mouthed look. He deliberately fixed his eyes away from her. "And observant," he continued. "That's the way to the opposite wall, and that's where the Nosepass are coming from. It does seem that they're leaving the safety of the deepest part of the cave." 

Roxanne uttered a stunned sound. She broke free of Chiori's hands and moved towards the marching pokémon. "Wait!" Chiori called. 

"I'll capture one first!" Roxanne answered. "Then we'll investigate!" 

"She's very determined, isn't she?" Brawly asked in a low voice. 

"Why can't we just go after she catches her Nosepass? It's dangerous!" 

"Because she just wants to make sure the Nosepass are safe." 

Chiori bit her bottom lip, reminded of her feelings for the wayward Poochyena just last week. She heard Roxanne ordering her Geodude to tackle. 

"Do you really think she could be a gym leader?" Chiori asked Brawly. 

"Sure. Her knowledge is a big plus, to make up for lack of actual experience. She'll have to work at it, but I could see her in that gym." 

"Are you going to the gym leaders' convention?" 

"Sure am. Biggest event of the year for us. There are leaders I haven't met, ones that just started. Should be an interesting con." 

"I caught it!" Roxanne called faintly. Chiori rushed over to see if she needed any help. The older girl was sitting on her knees, staring at a pokéball in her hand. "Thank you, Geodude. You can rest now," she said, holding out another ball and recalling her very tired-looking pokémon. 

"That's awesome!" Chiori cheered for her. "Did it put up much of a fight?" 

"More of a defense," Roxanne replied. "Nosepass seem very non-confrontational." Her eyes followed the rest of the squat pokémon, marching away on their own business. She looked at the red and white ball in her hand for a second, then pushed its button, releasing the pokémon. Like a statue, it stood immobile. "Brawly! Give me another potion!" she called. 

The gym leader ran to join them. "You sure? We only have a couple left." 

"And I think Nosepass is good protection for us. But not when I sapped all its energy trying to capture it." She held out her hand expectantly. 

"But... I have my fighting-types. And you have Aron." 

"Aron's still too weak. I want to be safe." Roxanne stretched her hand out farther. 

Brawly conceded. "How do you think it takes it?" he whispered to Chiori as Roxanne walked up to Nosepass. 

"The same way it eats?" Chiori guessed. "Don't all pokémon drink medicine?" 

Brawly shrugged. Roxanne tilted the vial under its nose, so it had to have a mouth somewhere. With a satisfied nod, she called it back to its ball. 

"Ready to move on?" Brawly asked. 

"Let's follow their tracks to the beginning," Roxanne said, shining her helmet light on the Nosepass' trail. This time she didn't object to holding onto Chiori's arm as Brawly led the way. 

Sure enough, there was a rock cluster along the far wall, one that had obviously been constructed. "This is definitely a Nosepass nest," Roxanne said. "There's an opening there." She pointed. 

Brawly shone the flashlight along various parts of the pile. Chiori, feeling cold, apprehensive about what she couldn't see, and a little smothered by the surrounding darkness, began to wonder if she was developing claustrophobia. She tried to distract herself. The first thing that came to mind was her mom's mini-lecture from the day before, so she forced herself to think about anything else: when she'd see Midori again, how she'd give Isis a nice long brushing -- the Poochyena's favorite activity -- once she got home, what was making that scuffling sound behind her... 

She peered over her shoulder, searching with her head-light. A little pokémon, light tan in color, covered its eyes with its arm, which had much darker fur. Then it lifted its head and blinked huge, ruby-red eyes curiously. 

"Awww!" she gushed. "So cute!" She reached out a hand. 

"Chiori, no!" Brawly yelped. She pulled her hand back and retreated a few steps. The pokémon stared at her. Brawly grabbed her wrist. "That's a Mawile. It lures its prey with its innocent looks, then attacks with its jaws. See?" He aimed the flashlight's beam behind the Mawile, where a freakishly large, long mouth tapered to the floor from its head. The jaw was steely grey, glinting slightly. 

Chiori stood transfixed for a moment. "But... how can that be its mouth? I see one on its face, right below the eyes." 

"It just is. That's what they warn us about." 

"But it's so sweet! Look at that face, it wants to know what we are!" 

"Hey, on the boat you said it was freakish," Roxanne reminded her. 

"That's when I saw just a picture. Look at it in person!" 

Brawly dragged her away. "Trust me, you don't want to get too close. You're only falling for the deception." 

Roxanne gasped. "I think we fell for the distraction, too," she whispered. By the light of her helmet's beam, they could see several Mawile emerging from the rocky fortress. They snarled as they approached. Though only a couple of feet in height, their bizarre jaws nipping the air were intimidating enough. 

"Now we know why the Nosepass left," Brawly said, stepping back. 

"I can't believe they didn't even put up a fight," Roxanne commented. "They just let the Mawile push them out of their home." 

"You said yourself that they're non-confrontational," said Brawly. 

"But why did the Mawile invade here?" Chiori asked. "What was wrong with their home?" 

"They probably got bored, that's what!" Brawly said in a panic. "You want to know what attacked those agent guys? You're looking at 'em!" 

Of all the advancing Mawile, only one looked more inquisitive than menacing. Chiori realized it must have been the same one she'd seen at first. While it hung back, the others advanced, and the closest suddenly spun around, opening its huge jaws wide and snapping them shut with a sound like a steel trap, a warning. "Run," Brawly barely muttered. "Now." 

Roxanne put up no fight when he grabbed her wrist and fled with her in tow. Chiori, behind them, dared to look behind her shoulder. In her head light's decreasing beam, she saw that the Mawile had stayed behind. Relief filled her heart until she witnessed a flash of a skirmish -- one of the creatures gnashed its teeth, another reeled backwards with a yelp of pain. 

"Oh!" Chiori cried, skidding to a halt. She had turned on her heels and was returning to the scene before she realized it. 

"Chiori, what are you doing?" Brawly shouted. She heard his footsteps pounding behind her. 

The Mawile all growled in unison at her approach. Brawly clamped his hands onto her shoulders. "Are you nuts? They'll eat you alive!" 

"They will not! Just wait a second!" Chiori wriggled out of his grip. 

"How do you know?" 

"How do you know they won't?" She ran to the fallen Mawile, which, upon closer inspection, was a little smaller and a lot less fierce-looking than its pack mates. Two open gashes marred its chest: Mawile teeth. 

"Chiori!" Brawly cried in exasperation. 

"How is this different than Roxanne and the Nosepass?" she retorted hotly. "Or me and the Poochyena?" She touched the scars on her wrist, a permanent reminder of the Poochyena incident. Her heart longed to stick up for the little Mawile, the pack outsider, but her common sense warned her not to mettle with natural selection, especially while standing in the territory of hostile pokémon. She stood frozen for what felt like hours. 

"Oh, Chiori," Brawly said, his voice softer. In a lightning-quick movement, he was releasing his pokémon. "Fight 'em off as best as you can, guys! Back to the rocks!" His Machop and Makuhita leapt into the center of the Mawile pack. Chiori could only watch the havoc for a second, as her time was severely limited. 

She slid her backpack off as she knelt in front of the injured Mawile. "You'll be okay, right?" she asked it gently. "Can I see?" She reached her hand to its chest. With a terrified expression, it gave a weak growl, opening its massive jaw slightly but not turning around to attack her with it. 

"Promise to hold on," Chiori said, digging in her backpack. "And I promise I'll get you healed." 

It just stared at her as she activated the pokéball. The particle beam lit up her surroundings for a few seconds. Then it faded and the ball fell to the ground, wobbling several times before it lay still. Chiori exhaled in great relief and picked up her capture, placing it securely in one of her backpack's side pockets. 

"Makuhita!" Brawly cried. His own pokéball was activated, recalling Makuhita. "Too many of 'em! Machop won't hold out must longer!" 

"Go, Isis!" Chiori whipped out her other ball, sending forth her Poochyena. Little Isis jumped right into battle just as Machop fainted. Brawly swore as he recalled it. "I thought they could hold out longer than this." 

"Get out of here!" Chiori told him. "Now, while they're concentrating on Isis!" 

"What about you?" 

Chiori's answer was interrupted by a yelp from Isis. Mawile were now piled on top of her. _"They'll eat you alive!"_ Brawly's words echoed in her head. Chiori screamed her pokémon's name so loud it echoed off the cave walls. 

There was a flash of pokéball light, and Nosepass was there. A breathless Roxanne had caught up to them. "Rock throw," she whispered, collapsing to the ground and clutching her chest. 

"No! That'll crush Isis, too!" Chiori protested. 

Roxanne gulped for air, unable to speak for the moment. Chiori turned back and forth from her friend to the battle so much she thought she'd snap her neck. The Mawile, having vanquished their prior attacker, turned their attention to Nosepass. Without a sound it stomped past them, towards the fortress, its former home. With growls of dissent, the Mawile followed it. Some of them jumped in front of Nosepass's path, but it swung its arms and knocked them aside. Their bites were of little use against its solid rock body. 

Isis was abandoned, lying still. Through her tears and in the thin beam of light Chiori saw that the Poochyena's sides were still rising and falling. She didn't dare advance, but she recalled Isis back to her pokéball, squeezing the sphere tightly between her hands and watching Nosepass. 

The blocky pokémon's arms were raised, and, through some unseen force, rocks from the fortress began to levitate. Nosepass moved one arm slightly, and the rocks dropped. Mawile dodged left and right, so Nosepass repeated the move. The Mawile caught on to its attack, and they attempted to scatter, but they halted no more than a foot from either of Nosepass's sides, as if unable to move any farther. 

"What's going on?" Brawly asked. 

"Magnet pull," Roxanne answered, awestruck. "Its magnetic nose prevents steel-types from escaping." 

"Mawile are steel-types?" Chiori was a little surprised. She'd always thought of steel pokémon as being completely metal, like rock-types were solid, living rock. 

Nosepass's rock throw attack was still in progress. "Roxanne, please make it stop," Chiori nearly begged. "I don't want the Mawile to get hurt." 

"Chiori!" Roxanne's tone was that of a scolding teacher, a habit. 

"Please! We're far enough away to escape! If you recall Nosepass from here, we can make a run for it!" 

"In my condition?" 

"If you get on my back, I can carry you," Brawly suggested. 

"_Excuse me!?_" 

"I wouldn't let you walk all the way back up to the entrance, anyway. And if I had known these kinds of things happened to you, I wouldn't have let you come inside." 

Roxanne gaped at him. "How _dare_ you!? If I had known you're such an arrogant _chauvinist_, I wouldn't have asked for your help!" 

"All you've done is refuse my help!" Brawly's voice was echoing now. "You're the arrogant one! Do you treat everyone who cares about you like this?" 

"Guys!" Chiori yelled. "Roxanne, please just cooperate! You can finish this when we're safe, okay?" 

Roxanne opened her mouth and closed it right away. She thrust Nosepass's pokéball at Chiori. "Fine. Might as well save Nosepass's strength for whatever gets in our way, since everyone else's pokémon are nearly fainted." 

"Which wouldn't have happened if you had just caught your Nosepass and left in the first place," Brawly said bitterly. 

"Maybe if some gym leaders trained a little harder! Only first-level evolutions? Not exactly the paragon of fighting-types, are we?" 

"Roxanne!" Chiori reprimanded. 

The older girl sighed reproachfully and rose from the ground. With a sour look, Brawly bent forward and kneeled slightly so that she could climb onto his back. "Watch what you're doing," Roxanne criticized as he locked his hands onto her legs. 

"Watch that you don't fall and break your neck," he retorted. 

Chiori rolled her eyes. "You get a head start," she said, holding out the pokéball. "Good job, Nosepass!" Fortunately, she wasn't too far away to retract it, and she began running before the ball had stopped glowing. "Sorry, Mawile! Hope it's not too much trouble to rebuild the fort you invaded!" 

No one said anything as they backtracked to the ladder. Brawly's climb was somewhat awkward, and Roxanne's suggestions for him a little uncalled for, but he made it without depositing her. Only a few Zubat and Aron bothered them on their way to the second ladder, and Nosepass took care of them. 

"Aren't you glad now that I gave it a potion?" Roxanne piped up as Chiori recalled it. 

"Pure genius," Brawly said dryly, shifting her up despite her complaints. Chiori hung back and opened her bag's side pocket, the one holding her Mawile's pokéball. "Brawly," she called to him. "Give me a potion, too." 

He stopped and turned his head over his shoulder. "We need to save those for emergencies, Chiori." 

"This is! I'm worried about this little guy. I didn't really think about it until now, but I want to make sure it survives before we get to the center." 

Brawly paused, then returned to her, giving her a vial from his pocket. "Thank you," Chiori said. She knelt down and released Mawile, who blinked and squinted at her helmet light. 

"Here you go," she said softly. "Drink up, okay?" It wrinkled up the center of its face, as if smelling the bottle, though it had no nose. "Not too bad, is it? Open wide." She held it to Mawile's mouth. It obediently tilted back its head and let her pour in the potion. 

Chiori smiled in amazement. "There, see, Brawly? This one's its mouth. It drank the potion!" 

"Yeah," Brawly said distantly, watching along with Roxanne. 

Finally, when they reached the entry level, they were greeted by the miners instead of pokémon. Brawly gratefully let Roxanne down and arched his body backwards, stretching his muscles. 

"Are you implying that I'm heavy?" the tiny-framed girl demanded. 

"No, just a huge burden," he muttered. 

"You guys okay?" one of the miners asked. 

Chiori was still squinting from the light of their lanterns, so used were her eyes to pitch darkness. "We're fine. Roxanne just had a little trouble, that's all." 

Roxanne sniffed defiantly and handed her helmet over. "Thank you for the equipment," she said in a completely different tone of voice. 

"You're very welcome. Catch anything?" 

"I sure did. So did my friend." 

"Oh? What did you get?" the miner asked Chiori. 

"A Mawile," she said with a smile. "But we have to hurry and get it to the center. It's injured badly." 

The miners took a collective step backwards. "You... you _captured_ one of those mutant things?" 

She looked at them, puzzled. 

"You must be pretty brave," another miner told her. 

"Watch out, Brawly, she might be a tough challenge someday." 

Brawly laughed weakly, but Roxanne glowered at everyone. "Well, we have to hurry," Chiori said, handing over her helmet. "Thank you again! Good luck with those evolution stones!" 

The three of them waited silently in the pokémon center's lobby. Chiori was about to demand that someone say something when the nurse came up to them. "Your pokémon will all be fine," she said, smiling as they exhaled their relief and thanked the heavens. 

"Even my Mawile?" Chiori asked. "It was attacked by its own kind." 

The nurse nodded. "The wounds will heal if you tend them properly. I'll show you now if you want." 

"Yes, please!" She jumped out of her chair and followed the nurse to a room in the back of the center. Brawly and Roxanne followed. 

The Mawile sat upright on an operating table, a white bandage wrapped around its chest. It beamed at Chiori as she entered, which brought a wide smile to her face. "There you are!" she said. "Are you feeling better?" She held out a finger and moved it from side to side, which Mawile followed with its wide, red eyes. Then it reached for her hand and held onto it, closing its eyes and making a happy noise. 

Chiori's heart melted right there. "No one is cuter than you! That's right!" She nuzzled where Mawile's nose would be, if the pokémon had one. 

The nurse giggled. "He's a male, and pretty young. My guess is that he was the runt of his pack, so that's why the other Mawile picked on him. But if you take good care of him, he'll grow up strong." 

"Only the best care, you mean." Chiori ran her hand along the steely jaws' surface. It was cold to the touch, but she wasn't afraid. Her Mawile watched, blinking. 

"Going to give him a name?" Roxanne asked. The bitterness was absent from her voice this time, forgotten in the presence of her enthralled friend. 

Chiori grinned at them. "Malik!" she declared. 

Roxanne giggled. "I should have known." 

"Oh yeah, Malik!" Brawly said. "He's pretty cool... when he's not being a vein-popping sadist." 

"You watch it too?" Chiori pounced on him. "Did you see it this week?" 

"Yeah, I did, actually." 

Chiori shrieked. "That's so cool! I know a gym leader who likes my favorite anime!" 

Brawly was laughing. "I like the minor characters best. That guy who knocks people out by throwing dice." 

"I like him, too," Roxanne said over Chiori's hysteric giggles. 

"Oh?" Brawly looked at her in mild surprise. She turned her head away but glanced back at him guiltily. 

Chiori turned to her new pokémon again, hiding her smile. "What do you think, Malik?" 

He squeaked and reached for her hand again. Chiori let him play with her fingers, feeling that her heart would overflow right then and there. 


	3. Capable? Search for Perfect Pokémon!

This chapter's a rewrite. The first version was pretty rambly, when the main point is to introduce Kouta. So I trimmed down the Petalburg scene -- Brendan and Wally will have other chapters to develop.  
I'm trying to keep the average length of each installment as long as this one and chapter 4. 2 was big, but stuff happened, unlike the previous 3, where everyone just repeated themselves in conversation.  
Blah, I'm my own editor! Enjoy.  
P-Z

**Chapter 3  
Capable? Search for Perfect Pokémon!**

"Chiori," Roxanne said impatiently. "Wading through the bushes was one thing, but..."

"Maybe they never come out _because_ trainers always lumber through the bushes," Chiori said. "This way, I should be eye level, and therefore less intimidating."

"Come out from there," Roxanne insisted. "You'll get your new gloves dirty."

Chiori, on her hands and knees, crawled backwards until she was free from the plants. She rose, brushing off her pants. She held out her arms, staring at the back of her gloves, white with black fingers. She'd picked them up at the Petalburg pokémon center, where she and Roxanne had stopped. They didn't want Mr. Briney to sail them all the way to Rustboro only to turn around and return south to his home outside Petalburg. Chiori called her mother and asked that she pick them up instead, since the former sea captain had ferried the girls around enough. Besides, Chiori read in Roxanne's encyclopedia about a rarely-seen pokémon who was known to make its home along the lush grasses of Route 102. She fell in love with its picture and was determined to capture one.

"Gloves are _supposed_ to get dirty," she said. "That's why you wear them, so your hands stay clean."

The petite brunette crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, you've been looking for so long now, and you haven't found one. We should get back to the center before your mom gets there."

"There's still time," Chiori insisted. "Just let me look a little longer."

Roxanne gave a soft sigh. "I wanted to meet the gym leader," she said to herself.

"Stop trying to do everything for me!" came a shout. Chiori froze, aware that it hadn't come from Roxanne, but startled nonetheless. In her absorbed searching, she hadn't noticed that there were two boys nearby, apparantly looking for pokémon as well.

"I'm not!" one of them protested. "Your dad asked me to help, so I'm helping!"

"More like taking over! I--" The first boy paused, noticing Chiori. The other followed his friend's gaze, then proceeded to shift his posture in embarrassment.

"Am I in your way?" Chiori asked, trying to sound innocent.

"You're fine," said the second boy, the one who was trying to help. He had silvery-blue hair held back with a black headband, and a red and black jumpsuit, which Chiori recognized from the pokémon center's official Hoenn League Outfitters section. He turned to the other boy, pale with fluffy green hair, wearing what seemed to be his school uniform: a pressed white shirt and dark green pants. "Hey, where are you going?"

"The pokémon are probably all scared off now," he said. "I'm going to try this spot." He crossed the field, wandering into some tall grass.

The silver-haired boy sighed and stared after him. Chiori took in a breath, unsure of what to do.

"Oh!" the other boy exclaimed. "Brendan, this pokémon just came from nowhere! What do I do?"

"Battle it to weaken it first! Oh... right." Brendan ran over.

"Don't scare it away!"

"You have to use my Treecko! Here!" Stopping halfway, Brendan released his pokémon, a lizard-like creature with a long tail that somewhat resembled a leaf.

"Chiori!" Roxanne motioned for Chiori to stand beside her and get a better view. "Isn't that...?"

Her eyes widened. "It is! It's a Ralts!"

Small, whitish-grey, with what appeared to be green hair shielding most of its face and two rounded, light red horns stuck out from the front and back of its head, the Ralts stood perfectly still. It seemed to be looking at Treecko. The green-haired boy was also perfectly still, afraid to move.

"Tell Treecko to attack, Wally," Brendan supplied.

"I don't want Ralts to run away!" Wally said. "I... I can tell it's--"

"Use absorb, Treecko," Brendan told his pokémon. "We'll weaken it gradually, okay?" Surprisingly, the Ralts stayed put, flinching in shock that some of its energy had been absorbed. Its horns began to glow, and suddenly Treecko swayed, looking rather confused.

"Oh!" Wally gasped. "Do I throw the ball now?" Without waiting for an answer, he lobbed a red and white sphere. Chiori held her breath until the pokéball stopped wobbling, its internal light fading. Wally broke into a grin, looking happily at Brendan, who was stopping his Treecko from walking in circles.

"Congratulations!" Brendan cheered, giving a thumbs-up sign.

"I couldn't have done it without you." Wally's grin broadened. "And Treecko." He ran the few steps and picked up his capture.

"So you're not mad anymore?" Brendan asked.

"No way! I thought you were going to catch any old pokémon without my approval, but I was wrong. I trust you from now on." Wally squeezed the pokéball happily.

Brendan's cheeks flushed, and he scratched the back of his head, laughing.

"Um," Chiori spoke up. "Do you think there are more Ralts in that spot?"

"There might be," Brendan answered.

"Maybe they're really good at hiding," Chiori speculated. "I've been looking for one around here for a long time. Hmm..." She took out her own pokéball from her backpack, releasing her newly-caught Malik.

"Whoa!" the boys exclaimed. Brendan reached around to his back pocket, pulling out what looked like a slim red case. He flipped open the top and stared at it. "It's a Mawile," he said.

"What's that?" Chiori asked, in regards to his device.

"Hmm?" Brendan looked at her. "This is a pokédex. Portable, electronic encyclopedia, sort of."

"Where did you find a pokémon like _that?_" Wally asked, staring at Malik.

"Granite Cave, on Dewford Island," Chiori proudly replied. "We just came from there today."

"Why does it have that bandage?"

She explained the adventure in the cave to the awe of both boys. "I guess I have a lot of catching up to do, compared to a trainer like you," Wally said.

"Aww, I'm not so great." Chiori blushed.

The boys excused themselves to return to Wally's house for dinner. "Okay, Malik!" Chiori announced. "Want to go Ralts-hunting? They're about your size, so maybe you can find one better than I could, from your line of sight." She watched as her Mawile raced obediently to the weeds, smiling fondly.

"You love that little thing, don't you?" Roxanne asked, looking amused. She'd been quiet for a long time, observing from the background.

"Of course! And Isis too. It's just that Malik's such a sweetheart, despite how scary he is at first."

"You wouldn't replace him with a Ralts, would you?"

Chiori's blue eyes grew to twice their size. "No! There's no way!"

"I just wondered, that's all. You got so excited when you found Ralts in my encyclopedia. I see it all the time in my classroom: kids learn about a new pokémon, become obsessed with it, neglect the ones they already have. You snatched up Malik as soon as you could this afternoon, and now this. The signs are there."

"How could you say that? Just because I want new ones doesn't mean I'll stop loving my old ones. What, do you think my parents stopped loving my brother because they had me?"

Roxanne, an only child, glanced away. "No, but catching pokémon is vastly different from bearing children."

"Well, as far as I'm concerned, my pokémon are my children. And I happen to think Malik and Isis would enjoy having a baby sister Ralts."

No more was said on the topic as the search commenced. When the sun began to set, Roxanne politely suggested they return to the pokémon center. Chiori recalled Malik back to his pokéball and followed Roxanne, peering over her shoulder for any signs of movement until Route 102 was no longer in view. Mrs. Rougan was waiting at the center, as promised, and she drove the girls back to Rustboro as the sun set completely.

---

The following Monday, Chiori was back at the trainers' academy after her school day had ended, her usual routine of helping out Roxanne. As much as she wanted to get home as soon as possible to see Isis and Malik -- who, after getting used to each other, got along splendidly -- she felt obligated to spend the time with Roxanne, something she'd been doing for over a year.

"Let me get that for you!" She rushed to the shelves along the back wall, where Roxanne was standing on tiptoes in order to reach a folder. The much taller Chiori snatched it for her easily.

Roxanne gave her a small smile. "I was about to get a chair to stand on," she said.

"Now you don't have to!" Chiori beamed and handed her the folder.

Roxanne looked away uncomfortably. "Chiori... there's something I want to tell you."

"Huh?" The younger girl tilted her head, curious.

Someone rapped their knuckles on the open door across the room, stopping Roxanne from saying whatever was on her mind. "Miss Pierce? Sorry to interrupt," said the newcomer.

"Ah, Kouta." Roxanne greeted him pleasantly. "It's all right. Come in."

Despite the fact that he'd addressed her as a teacher, the boy looked to be Roxanne's age. His skin was pale, especially next to his black t-shirt and jeans and dark purple, almost black hair, which framed his face in varying lengths down to his neck. He had clear brown eyes, which revealed intelligence and depth at a glance. "I wanted to ask you before class, but didn't get the chance. How was your expedition to Dewford?"

"Pretty successful, all things considered," Roxanne told him. "I actually came away with two more pokémon."

"That's great! Was my Geodude helpful?"

"Sure was, and thank you again."

While at first interested in hearing that this was the student from whom Roxanne had acquired her Geodude, Chiori, still in her school uniform, felt consciously young and childish next to the two of them. Wasn't Roxanne even going to mention that Chiori had come with her to Dewford? She ducked her head down and to the side, staring at the floor, her unbound pink hair hanging like a curtain in front of her face.

Doing so, she didn't notice Kouta looking at her. "Were you the one who went with her?" he asked. "Miss Pierce said she was taking a friend."

Chiori snapped her head up, surprised. "Oh, yes," Roxanne said as an afterthought. "This is Chiori. She's going to enroll here this fall."

Kouta nodded in agreement. "It's a wonderful school. I know I'm grateful I came here."

Chiori opened her mouth, unsure of what to say suddenly. "Yeah," she blurted out.

"Will you be joining another of our summer programs?" Roxanne asked Kouta.

"Nah, I've got an internship with the breeding center near Mauville. I'm really looking forward to it."

"Well, you certainly have enough pokémon of your own to work with," said Roxanne.

Kouta laughed. "I have more pokémon than I know what to do with, honestly."

"Um," Chiori spoke up as Roxanne chuckled. "You wouldn't happen to have a Ralts, would you?"

Kouta looked up at the ceiling, thinking. "Actually... I do. Yes."

Chiori squeaked and clapped her hands. "Would you trade it to me? Please? I spent all Saturday evening looking for one!"

"Chiori!" Roxanne hissed.

"What?" Chiori whirled around to her, hair flying as she did. "Why can't I ask? Is this still about what you said on Saturday? Or are you the only one allowed to get new pokémon?"

Roxanne blushed. "I was going to tell you not to be rude, but I guess it's too late for that."

"It's all right," Kouta interjected. "She can ask, I don't mind. I don't have anything else to do at the moment."

"Are you sure?" Chiori asked. "I didn't mean to be so sudden, but I just thought of it and--"

"It's fine." He grinned. "I'd be glad to see that my Ralts has a good home. It's just sitting in storage." He started towards the door. "Come on, we have to go to the pokémon center. See you tomorrow, Miss Pierce." He waved at Roxanne.

"See you, Kouta. You too, Chiori."

Chiori narrowed her eyes at her as the teacher looked away. What was it Roxanne was going to tell her? Why had she been acting so weird about Chiori getting pokémon?

"So, almost done with regular school, huh?" Kouta asked as they stepped outside.

"Yes, and good riddance, I say," Chiori answered. "Now that I have pokémon, I--" She paused suddenly, gripped with a horror she hadn't thought of until now. "I... have to trade you one of my pokémon, don't I?" Everything Roxanne said about replacing Malik with Ralts was coming back to haunt her.

"Well, technically... but you don't have to trade me one of your beloved ones," Kouta said with sympathy. "Just go catch the first wild thing you see. The important part is that we swap pokéballs that are each registered to us. That way it's official in the League files, so you're not suspected of, say, stealing a Ralts that's still in my name."

Chiori blinked at him. "I just bought my pokéballs at the mart... I didn't know I had to register them."

"Oh... well, you don't _have_ to. Anyone can use a ball. But for something like trading, you need to be registered with the Hoenn League. That way, when your pokéballs are scanned, they come up in your name on the database. And you get free use of the pokécenter's services throughout the region."

"That explains why we got free pokémon care at Dewford..." Chiori said. "Gym leaders are registered, aren't they? But... I left my pokémon at home while I was at school today. Do I need them?"

"No, so long as you have an empty ball with you. You can have your other pokémon registered later."

"Okay!" Chiori slipped off her backpack and opened it, where she found a couple of free pokéballs left over from her weekend. "Do you mean it? You'll trade a Ralts for anything?"

"Yeah. Like I told Miss Pierce, I've got more pokémon than I know what to do with. And you sound like you don't want to part with yours."

"I don't! I love my pokémon more than anything, despite what Roxanne thinks." Chiori scrunched up her nose thinking about it.

Kouta chuckled. "Don't be too hard on her. It's the end of the school year. She's a little stressed."

"You sound like you know her better than I do."

"Well, I'm not on a first-name basis with her like you, but I've seen enough ends of semesters to recognize work overload. It gets to me too, believe me. Don't take it personally."

"I guess..."

They arrived at the pokémon center at last. "Okay, go and capture something," said Kouta. "I'll set it free after the trade, so no harm done."

With no pokémon to do proper battle and weaken a target, Chiori had a time searching, but Kouta helped her look. They both spotted a sleeping Wurmple, which was too lazy to resist the pokéball. Chiori bounced in place as she picked up the ball, which made Kouta laugh, delighted by her eagerness.

Inside the center, Kouta punched a number into a bulky computer after inserting a small, plastic card. Chiori watched, fascinated. A pokéball appeared in the window at the very center of the machine, and the window slid up, allowing the tray holding the pokéball to emerge. Kouta took the ball. "One Ralts," he said.

Next, Chiori went to the counter to have the secretary register her name and information into the League's database. While she was busy doing so, Chiori turned to Kouta. "So how did you come to have so many pokémon?" she asked. "How many _do_ you have?"

Kouta scratched his head in thought. "I've lost count. Maybe sixty?" He paused, amused at Chiori's boggled eyes. "See, a couple of years ago, I was in this contest -- the idea was to catch as many pokémon as there are in the pokédex by the end of summer. It was really fun, and I made a lot of friends... not to mention I got a lot of pokémon I never would have thought to capture. That got me interested in breeding, which is what I plan to do after school. I even landed an internship at a nearby center."

"Yeah, you told Roxanne," Chiori said. "That's cool, but... are you really just going to keep all those pokémon in storage forever?"

"Oh, no. The people at the breeding center expressed a lot of interest. And I'm attached to a few of them personally -- I'm a big ghost-type fan." He smiled and tucked some of his hair behind his ear.

"All right, Chiori," said the secretary. "You'll all set. You'll get an ID card in the mail in a few days, but feel free to bring in your other pokémon for registration any time." She handed the pokéball with Wurmple back to Chiori.

"Ready?" Kouta held up Ralts's pokéball. Chiori nodded. In a matter of seconds, she'd have a cute little Ralts of her very own...

Her reverie was interrupted by a shrill, excited cry. Then several things happened at once. Kouta was knocked to the floor by a girl who was now on top of him, her arms wrapped tight around his neck. "Kouta-samaaaaaa!" she drawled, nuzzling his neck. Kouta, looking pained that he'd landed on his behind in such an abrupt and embarrassing manner, scared that he'd nearly dropped Ralts's pokéball -- which he was now holding up high and away from his assailant -- and then annoyed at the entire situation, stared first at the dark-haired girl and then up at Chiori, his mouth hanging open.

Chiori stared back with an expression of similar shock. The girl finally unlatched herself from Kouta, sitting upright and gazing at him. "Are you surprised to see me? I told you I'd come to visit you!"

Kouta sat up gratefully, dusting off the back of his shirt with his free hand. "I didn't think you'd be here so soon," he said vaguely, examining Ralts's pokéball.

"What? I sent you an email three days ago! Didn't you read it?"

"I've been really busy."

"You're silly, Kouta-samaaaa." She dragged out the honorific in a syrupy voice.

"Um," Chiori spoke up. "You shouldn't call him '-sama'."

The girl raised her thin eyebrows at Chiori, as if she just noticed her. "And why shouldn't I?" she asked haughtily.

"Because it's wrong." Chiori laughed nervously.

"How do you know what's wrong and what isn't?"

"Well, I _am_ a quarter Japanese," Chiori answered.

"It's true," Kouta said. "My grandparents are Japanese. They can tell you, Laurel."

She stuck her nose in the air sharply, which reminded Chiori a little of Roxanne. "Well, why didn't you say something before?"

Kouta didn't answer, just stood up and continued to brush his backside off. "I can't believe you're all the way here already. Isn't your school still in session?"

"Nope! Spring term ended yesterday!" Laurel also rose, and Chiori got her first good look at her. Also like Roxanne, she was short, but had a few more curves than the petite teacher. Her dark sea-green hair was pulled into two tiny pigtails which stuck out from the base of her neck. She was wearing a white button-down shirt with short sleeves and a tight fit, which accentuated her chest and narrow waist more than was necessary, and a short, pleated skirt of dark blue.

"Then why are you still wearing your school uniform?" Kouta asked.

"This isn't my uniform!" Laurel stamped her knee-socked foot.

"Sure looks like one. Huh, Chiori?" He snickered a little, teasing.

Laurel looked Chiori, clad in her middle school's brown vest and knee-length skirt, up and down. "It doesn't look a thing like one. Honestly, Kouta, you need to pay more attention." She said his name while glancing at Chiori again. "So what are you doing?"

"We're about to trade pokémon," Kouta said. "This is Chiori, a friend of one of my teachers. Chiori, this is Laurel."

"How far did you come?" Chiori asked politely.

"From Sootopolis. I'm going to spend my summer here." Laurel smiled at Kouta. Chiori's eyes widened -- Sootopolis was on the opposite end of Hoenn. Laurel traveled from there to Rustboro in one day?

Kouta headed towards the stairs. "The trade center is on the next floor, Chiori. Let's get you your Ralts."

"Wait a minute," Laurel said. "Do you mean the Ralts you promised to me?"

Kouta paused in his tracks, but didn't turn around. Chiori stared at Laurel, whose green eyes were fixed only on Kouta. How many more things were going to keep her from the pokémon she so desperately wanted? 


	4. Decide! The Tumultuous End of Spring!

Couple of edits in this chapter, too. Fortunately, not many people have read the first drafts. Being unpopular can be good! ;;  
P-Z

**Chapter 4  
Decide! The Tumultuous End of Spring!**

Kouta turned around slowly to face the two girls, who were waiting for him to give an answer. Chiori looked shocked, and a bit afraid. Laurel had her hands on her hips, staring intently at Kouta. "Well?" she spoke again. "Are you giving my Ralts away, or not?" 

Kouta sighed. "It's been two years since you even mentioned it," he said. "Since you haven't asked me for the trade in all that time, I assumed you weren't interested anymore." 

Laurel stamped her foot impatiently. "Just because I don't say something out loud doesn't mean I don't still mean it! _You_ of all people know that!" 

"You're a water specialist now. Why do you need a psychic-type? Chiori's the one building a team, and she only has two pokémon so far." 

"Because you promised! You said I could have it!" 

"You never traded with me! You had plenty of opportunities, too!" Other people in the pokémon center were staring. Kouta had never felt more embarrassed -- first she tackled him to the floor, now this. 

"Well, I'll trade with you now!" Laurel declared. "She'd still only have two pokémon after she gives up one for Ralts. I've got plenty to spare." 

"That's not true!" Chiori blurted out. "I caught this one just to trade!" She held out the pokéball containing the random Wurmple. 

Laurel scowled. "Well, Kouta?" 

He ran his fingers through his dark, messy hair and sighed again. 

"Let's battle for it!" Chiori said. Kouta and Laurel both stared at her. "To see who's the better trainer. That one should have Ralts." 

Laurel raised a dark green eyebrow. "All right," she agreed. 

"Let me run home and get my pokémon," Chiori said. 

"What!? You don't have them with you?" 

"I wasn't going to take them to school with me," Chiori said in a matter-of-fact way. "My house is only a few blocks away. I"ll be right back!" She raced out of the center. 

Laurel watched her go with a thoughtful look. "A middle-school girl with only two pokémon against me and my evolved water-types," she mused to Kouta. "Who's the better trainer, indeed." 

Chiori burst through the door and pounded up the stairs to her bedroom. Isis was curled up in her basket, licking a forepaw, while Malik sat idly on the floor beside her. He squeaked a welcome as Chiori ran in. 

"It's time for a battle!" she said breathlessly, fetching their pokéballs from the night stand. The pokémon looked at her curiously as she called them inside. 

"Chiori?" Mrs. Rougan called from the kitchen as her daughter came downstairs. 

"'Bye, Mom! I'm going to have a pokémon battle!" 

"A battle? With whom?" 

"Uh... this girl I just met. I'll be back soon!" 

"Make sure you're in time for dinner!" 

Chiori didn't even change out of her school uniform, the first thing she usually did upon arriving home. She ran all the way back to the center, where Kouta and Laurel were waiting outside. 

"Ready now?" Laurel asked. 

Chiori nodded, catching her breath. 

"Just two, Laurel," Kouta said. He held on to Ralts's pokéball protectively. 

"Of course," she said sweetly. She raised her arms high over her head and twirled in place, her short, blue skirt fanning out. From the pokéball in her hand -- which was teal and white with a black, criss-cross pattern on top -- came a huge, purple starfish with a faceted, red jewel in its center. 

"Wow," Chiori whispered as she watched it materialize. "What was that?" she asked as Laurel stopped twirling. 

The short girl gave her an incredulous look. "My Starmie? Your opponent?" she answered, as though it was obvious. 

"No, that spinning you did. What was that for?" Chiori circled her finger in mid-air. 

Laurel brushed her hand over a tiny pigtail. "My signature move. Did you like it, Kouta? I've been practicing." She smiled saccharinely at him. 

"Yes, it was very nice," he said hastily. 

"Well, I'm here to battle, not dance," Chiori said, grinning. If Laurel was more preoccupied with how she appeared, maybe this would be easy. She glanced at Kouta, who gave her an amused look. Then Chiori whipped Isis's pokéball in the air. The Poochyena emerged above the ground and landed gracefully on her feet, licking her arm quickly. 

"That's it?" Laurel asked. "That little thing?" 

"Less talk, more battle!" Chiori commanded. "Isis, sand-attack!" 

"Haven't you ever heard of 'ladies first'?" The other girl sniffed. 

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" 

Laurel smiled smugly as Isis kicked a dirt shower over the Starmie. "Too bad Celena really doesn't have eyes to blind," she said. "Ah, well. Celena, psychic!" 

Nothing happened. Both trainers stood dumbfounded. 

"Psychic attacks are useless against dark-type pokémon," Kouta supplied. "I thought you knew that." 

"I did!" Laurel shouted, flushing. "Fine. Celena, rapid spin!" 

"Look out!" Chiori cried. Her Poochyena couldn't dodge the whirling, flying Starmie, and she yelped as she was struck. "Bite it, Isis!" Chiori ordered. 

The Starmie stumbled as Isis sank her teeth in its side. It twitched, and Laurel called, "Use recover!" 

"Looks like it's scared stiff," Chiori said, pleased that Isis was doing so well. 

"Celena's still twice as strong as that puny thing!" Laurel protested. 

"I'd say with its weakness to dark, they're about even. Isis, keep biting!" 

Isis's fervent bites overpowered the Starmie. Its jewel blinked, and its arms started to go limp. "No!" Laurel shouted. She thrust out its pokéball, recalling it, and looked to the side sourly. 

"Good job!" Chiori knelt down and held out her arms. Isis bounded into them, licking Chiori's face. 

"Fine," Laurel said, holding up another pokéball, this one black with thin rings of red and gold around the top and center. "I'm sure this one won't have any weaknesses against you." She did her twirling act and called out, "Let's go, Merle!" The pokémon released was a plump rabbit-like creature with bright blue fur and a white bubble-and-water pattern on its belly. It had a sweet face, but determined, battle-ready eyes. 

"Awww!" Chiori couldn't help herself. "Okay, I'll switch, too!" 

"There's no need. Keep your puppy in this battle." 

"No, I want to give Malik a fair chance!" Chiori pointed to her side, beckoning Isis to sit by her feet and watch. She released Malik from his ball. Laurel raised her eyebrows and gawked at him. Kouta just looked surprised, and possibly a little impressed. Chiori beamed with pride. 

"Ladies first," she said to Laurel, smirking. 

The short girl's green eyes flashed. "Merle, your strongest bubblebeam, please." The Azumarill unleashed a jet of bubbles, which burst all around Malik, who shielded his eyes. 

Chiori mentally ran through Malik's attacks. She chuckled. "Well, can't go wrong again. Bite!" 

Laurel watched in horror as the Mawile's huge, jaw-like horn clamped down on her Azumarill's side. It squealed and rolled to the side. "Is that all your pokémon know how to do?" Laurel snapped. "How barbaric!" 

"Pretty effective, though!" Chiori defended her battle technique. Merle the Azumarill flinched at its next command of another bubblebeam. "All right, then, how about some fake tears?" Chiori suggested. Malik caught her eye knowingly, then faced Merle and buried its face in its paws, feigning pain. The Azumarill, striving to stand up, stared at the Mawile with pity. 

"Don't be fooled, Merle!" Laurel ordered. "In fact... let's see if we can turn the tables. Use attract." 

Merle looked over at her, then back at Malik with a bizarre expression. Chiori watched, perplexed. It seemed like nothing happened. 

"Try another bite, Malik," she told him. She'd have to train him some more, so he could learn new attacks. Malik, however, stood rooted to the ground, eyes transfixed on Merle. 

Laurel laughed triumphantly. "I guessed right. Your pokémon is in love with mine now. His chances of attacking her are greatly reduced." She struck a confident pose, her chest protruding especially. Chiori tried not to glare, already feeling jealous that this petite girl had a better figure than she did. 

"Malik! Snap out of it!" she commanded. Isis barked along with her, offering encouragement. "You can do it! Bite!" 

Unfortunately, it wasn't working out for the impressionable Malik. Laurel smirked. "Well, that's that. Time for a rollout, Merle." 

The Azumarill curled herself up in a tight ball and hurled herself at Malik. The enthralled Mawile only watched as she approached, knocking him to the ground. She continued to roll, circling around Chiori and coming up to Malik again from the opposite direction and colliding with him once more. She continued her roll to Laurel and turned around to attack again. 

"He's still too weak," Chiori said to herself. He was wearing the same bandage from the Dewford pokémon center -- Malik's skirmish in the cave hindered his battle ability. In a panic, Chiori recalled him back to his ball. "Get in there, Isis!" she said. "You can't fall for attract!" 

Isis ran into the battle, leaping over Merle as she charged. "Try a tackle!" Chiori said. The Poochyena gathered all her strength and rammed into Merle, knocking the Azumarill out of her rolling. She staggered around dizzily, a confused look on her face. 

"Merle! It's right in front of you!" Laurel shouted. 

"So rollout does more damage to your pokémon in the end, huh?" Chiori asked. "Isis, bite!" 

"That's not true! Look out, Merle!" 

But the wobbly Azumarill did nothing as Isis attacked. She toppled over from the bite, lying still on the ground despite Laurel's frantic cries. 

Kouta stared at his watch, and, after a few seconds, declared, "Merle is unable to battle!" 

Chiori gasped, holding her hands to her mouth. 

"No! That's not possible!" Laurel protested. "Merle's just a little tired. She'll get back up!" 

"I'd say rolling willingly into a steel-type pokémon is liable to do more damage to the one attacking," Kouta told her. "You should have gone for the bubblebeams. I'm sorry, Laurel, but Chiori wins." 

"But... but..." Laurel's shoulders drooped, and she finally accepted her loss by leaving her words unfinished. She recalled her Azumarill sullenly. "Go on with your trade, then," she said. "I'll be waiting by the school for you, Kouta. Don't take too long." She spun around on her heel and stalked off. 

"Will she be all right?" Chiori asked. 

"Yeah, don't worry. She'll forget she ever wanted the Ralts in a little while." Kouta smiled at the pokéball in his hand. "Well, shall we?" 

Chiori retracted Isis to her ball and eagerly followed Kouta into the center and up the stairs to the trading center, where they approached a strange machine. "It's pretty simple," Kouta explained. "Just put your ball on one end, and I'll have mine on the other here. The computer reads the information and does the exchange." 

Chiori nodded and placed the Wurmple's pokéball in the slotted tray before her. The machine lit up as Kouta pushed a button, and the trays lifted up to a two-way tube. After a beep, they came down again, and Chiori picked up her new ball slowly, filled with wonder. 

"Thank you so much," she whispered. "I promise I'll take the best care of it." 

"It's a female," Kouta supplied. 

Chiori looked down at the ball in thought. "Mai!" she announced. "Her nickname is Mai!" 

"Well, not really," said Kouta. "You can call her that all you want, but you can't have it registered, not like you could for Isis and Malik. A traded pokémon keeps the name its original trainer gave it, and if he didn't name it, then it stays that way. She'll probably never respond to 'Mai', either." 

"What? That's silly. Everyone knows when they're being called by name, even pokémon." 

Kouta chuckled. "You're a good trainer, you know. Isis and Malik really look up to you." 

"Thanks! I hope Mai... um, my Ralts will, too." 

"What are you doing this summer?" 

"Hmm? I dunno... I might go on a gym journey and collect the badges. Roxanne suggested it, and my parents want me to get out more." 

"Oh? That's too bad. I'll be here half the time, and I was hoping we could hang out. Maybe have some battles of our own." 

Chiori grinned widely. "Really? I'll have to make some stops back home now and then. Then I can show you how Ralts is doing." 

"Yeah." Kouta grinned back, unzipping a pocket on the side of his pants leg. He retrieved a scrap of paper and a pen. "Here's my email address," he said, writing it down and handing the slip to her. "We'll keep in touch so we know when to meet for battles." 

"Only if you're not too busy to check your email." Chiori remembered what Laurel had told him. 

"Nah, don't worry about it. I always check it. Sometimes I just don't feel like replying." 

She giggled and looked at what he'd written. "'VantheAbsol'?" she asked. 

"Old online roleplay. I never bothered to get a new address." He shrugged, looking a little embarrassed. 

Chiori moved her hand to her skirt, meaning to stick the paper into a pocket she forgot wasn't there. "Oh yeah," she said, laughing for no reason. She clung to the paper more tightly. "Um... should you go find her? She said she'd be waiting by the school." 

"You're probably right." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Okay. You get your pokémon healed, and I guess I'll take off." 

"I can't wait to get home and meet my Ralts now!" Chiori gushed as they went downstairs. 

"I'm glad I could help you out." 

"You sure did! Thanks so much! I think I owe you a favor." 

Kouta smiled. "We'll see about that. I'll talk to you later." He waved and left. Chiori waved back, and went to the counter to ask for a healing. She was giggling all the way home. 

"You're so sweet!" she gushed when Ralts was out of her ball at last, glancing around the bedroom. Isis and Malik, sitting near the basket, looked at Ralts with curiosity and welcome. 

The refreshed Chiori -- changed and washed for dinner -- sat on her knees and held her arms out to her new pokémon. "I just know you'll be happy here! Welcome to your new family, Mai!" 

The Ralts stared up at her -- at least, it appeared that way, even though her eyes were shielded by green hair. "That's your nickname," Chiori said. "Mai. Never mind what Kouta says." 

Ralts stayed put. Chiori's smile faded with concern, and she lowered her hands to her thighs. "I battled for you," she said. "I'm so glad I won. I don't think Laurel wanted you because she likes Ralts as much as I do. She only wanted you because Kouta promised her a long time ago, which she forgot about. She probably wouldn't have taken very good care of you." She paused in thought. "She's kind of weird. She came all this way from Sootopolis to spend summer with Kouta, but he doesn't seem to want her around." 

Mrs. Rougan called her downstairs. "Dinner's ready!" Chiori said, leaping to her feet. "You get acquainted here, Mai. I'll be back soon!" 

She thought she saw a flash of light from the corner of her eye as she started downstairs. She paused, looking over her shoulder, then shrugged and continued on her way. 

Afterwards, she raced back to her room, only to find Isis napping in her basket, Malik staring at an open nature magazine, and a pokéball in the middle of the floor. "Where's Mai?" Chiori asked. 

Isis cracked open a red eye and yawned. Malik looked from the ball to his trainer, concerned. "Oh," Chiori whispered, remembering the flash. "I guess she let herself back in." She picked up the ball and gently set it on her night stand. "Maybe she's still scared. Who knows how long Kouta kept her in storage?" 

Malik squeaked, and Chiori sat on the floor next to him, patting his head. "You like the pictures?" she asked, flipping the magazine's page. The Mawile leaned forward and smacked his paws on a picture of a sandy desert, looking up at Chiori with a very amused expression. She giggled and scratched behind his ears, looking at the bandage wrapped around his chest. It would be awhile before those scars from his former pack mate healed. 

"I'm so glad I can take care of you," she told him. "And when you're all better, I'll train you really well, so no one can beat you so easily again." She glanced at Ralts's pokéball. "We'll have a great time, whatever we do..." 

--- 

Her middle school's graduation was the following Friday, and she wandered alone through the chattering crowd outside. Her classmates were making plans with friends, saying goodbyes, laughing, crying, thanking their relatives. Chiori noticed none of this, her attention divided between looking for her parents, her only guests for the event, and gazing at the falling cherry blossoms, one of her favorite sights. 

Her eyes fell on Roxanne, who also appeared to be searching. Chiori rushed to meet her, calling her name. 

"Hi, Chiori," Roxanne greeted. "Congratulations." 

"Thanks," said the younger girl with a grin. "I'm so glad to see you! I didn't expect you to come here. I stopped by your classroom every day this week, but you weren't there." 

"I know. I've had a lot of final reports to grade, so I took them home. Plus my own schoolwork... and there's another week to go for us." 

"If you didn't want me to visit, you should have said so!" 

"I tried," Roxanne mumbled. 

"What?" 

"I tried to... then Kouta came by, and you ran off with him." 

The full meaning of Roxanne's words sank in slowly. The brown-haired girl clasped her hands in front of her, turning her head to the side. "Was that what you wanted to tell me?" Chiori asked. "I don't mind! If I'd known I was more of a nuisance than a help, I would've gone straight home months ago! Wow." She giggled. 

"There's something else," Roxanne said, her head still facing away. Chiori's laughter stopped instantly at her tone. "I was just told yesterday. They want me to teach summer classes, all on my own. Not just helping a real teacher. It's a test of my abilities." 

"Wh... that's great," Chiori said, puzzled at her friend's foreboding voice. 

"It is. But it also means no trip to the Gym Leaders' Convention. I can't vouch for Aspen's position. I won't be a gym leader." 

Chiori's mouth hung open. 

"I know what you're thinking," Roxanne spoke for her. "Yes, it was a nice dream, but we have to be realistic. I've worked as a teacher's aide since I started at the academy, and I can't blow off this chance for some trip across Hoenn, for the mere _possibility_ of being chosen to lead a gym. I have a future right here. I'm not ruining that or my health by running off to Lilycove." 

Chiori found her voice at last. "Then why did we risk our necks in Dewford?" she blurted out. "What about the Nosepass you longed for, or the Aron you saved? Don't you owe it to them?" 

"It doesn't mean I can't still be a good trainer!" Roxanne argued. "I might devote my life to the study of rock-types, did you ever think of that? I still love them!" 

"It's not going to _kill_ you to go to Lilycove! You can take a boat, or fly there in a matter of hours, even! You don't have to hike across the region!" 

Roxanne flinched. "I thought you would have understood by now. _I'm not like you._ It's easy for you to take things like running from your school to mine to home every day for granted, but I am practically disabled!" 

"No, you're not! You climbed through three sub-levels of Granite Cave, and you only had to rest a couple of times! We all did!" 

"Don't remind me of that place, or that sorry excuse of a gym leader!" Roxanne snarled. 

"Brawly's a fine gym leader!" Chiori snapped back. "Are you afraid they'll all be like him at the convention? Is that why you want to shut yourself in a classroom for the rest of your life, and blame it all on some made-up disability?" 

Roxanne gave her a horrified look. Chiori stared at her directly, waiting for confirmation that she was right. The older girl turned her head aside again, silently defeated. 

_"Do you treat everyone who cares about you like this?"_ Brawly had asked Roxanne. 

"I'm--" Chiori started to apologize instantly. The last thing she wanted to do was fight with her best friend. 

"I'd better get home and work on my final," Roxanne said, cutting her off. "I'll talk to you later." She was leaving before Chiori could even say goodbye. Chiori watched the cherry blossoms flutter before her eyes, just as they gracefully fell over the dark head of her departing friend, who soon vanished into the crowd. 

She heard her father call her name from behind. Taking in a deep breath, she faced her approaching parents with a very brave smile. 


	5. Effective! Suspicious Team in the Tunnel...

This chapter is considerably shorter than the others. That pleases me just fine, this is kind of filler cool battle. Poor little Malik. oo;;  
P-Z

**Chapter 5  
Effective! Suspicious Team in the Tunnel!**

"No! Slakit!" Elyssa shouted. His Slakoth rolled over onto its back, looking more contented than pained. "All right, you win." 

"Yay!" Chiori gave a leap of joy. "Isis, you were great!" 

Her first pokémon pounced her, nearly knocking Chiori off her feet. Isis's back, legs, and tail were now covered in lustrous black fur, and her head came up to Chiori's chest: she had recently evolved into a Mightyena. 

Chiori giggled as Isis licked her face, but looked up when Elyssa sighed. "He only follows orders half the time," he said. "Maybe because I traded for him? And he doesn't know me that well?" 

Chiori smiled sympathetically. "Could be. I have a pokémon from a trade, too, and she's pretty nervous around me." 

"What should I do?" 

"Just treat him well and be patient, I suppose. He'll learn to trust you." 

Elyssa beamed. "Okay!" 

Chiori grinned at her young neighbor and scratched the fur behind Isis's ears. 

As she returned home for lunch, her mom called her into the den. Mrs. Rougan was seated at the video phone, and Chiori gasped with delight as she noticed her brother's face on the screen. "Hi, Midori!" she greeted him eagerly, leaning into view. 

"A fine afternoon to you, little sister," he said floridly, flashing his white teeth. "I was calling for you, actually." 

"Really?" Mrs. Rougan handed her the phone and left the room. 

"Did you get your graduation present?" 

"Yes!" Chiori squealed. She pulled the gift from the front pocket of her pants: a pokédex. At her graduation, she'd informed her parents she wanted to go on a trainer's journey. They happily bought her potions and pokéballs, but must have suggested the pokédex to Midori. "Thank you so much!" she gushed to him. 

"You're quite welcome. Are you all set?" 

"Just about! Isis evolved, and Malik's wound is mostly healed now. He'll be ready for some serious battling." 

"Who's Malik?" 

Sadly, Chiori realized that she hadn't talked to her brother since he'd helped her catch Isis. "He's my Mawile. Roxanne and I went to Granite Cave, and I saved him. Oh! And I met someone at the trainers' academy who practically gave me a Ralts! I just caught a random Wurmple, which he set free." She paused to catch her breath. 

"Wow, you've done a lot," Midori said. 

Chiori was quiet, thinking about that adventurous day with Roxanne, the last time she'd had fun with her. "Yeah," she said softly. She tossed her hair and gave Midori a smile. 

"So when do you think you're leaving?" 

"Any day now, I suppose. There's just one more thing I want to do..." 

Chiori was pleased to see that Kouta had replied to her email, agreeing to meet up with her for a battle. He even offered to accompany her as far as Mauville, should she be starting on her journey. Since reading his proposal, Chiori had been rushing around the house, packing and unpacking as she changed her mind about what to take every hour. One blanket felt too light, but summer was fast approaching. Should she take two or three changes of clothes? She could only fit so much into her backpack. Pokémon centers would provide meals, but should she pack dried fruit for snacks? 

On the morning of her departure, her mother fixed a big breakfast of oatmeal, toast, and sliced oranges. Chiori sucked on an orange wedge and stirred her oats, too excited to eat. 

"Who are you meeting again?" Dr. Rougan asked, setting down his cup of coffee. 

"Are you wearing a brand new shirt on this journey?" Mrs. Rougan spoke up at the same moment. 

"Um. The pants are kind of old, so it balances out." Chiori looked down at her clothes: her favorite, most comfortable pants, soft and black with parallel pink racing stripes, and her new Hoenn League Outfitters t-shirt from the center, rich red with a black half-circle around the collar. 

She glanced at her father, who was waiting for an answer. "I'm meeting a new friend. The one who traded Ma-- my Ralts to me." She'd started to say the nickname she couldn't give. 

"Is your friend going to be with you on your whole journey?" Mrs. Rougan asked. "I don't like the idea of you traveling around Hoenn all by yourself." 

"No, he's not going on a journey. Just to Mauville City." 

Dr. Rougan looked at her skeptically. "I think I like that better. Who is he?" 

Chiori flushed. "One of Roxanne's students. He's really nice, don't worry." She squirmed, thinking about what was being implied. 

"I'll be more worried if you start out without finishing breakfast." Mrs. Rougan sat down with her own cup of coffee, and pushed Chiori's bowl closer to her. 

At the front door, Chiori tied her tennis shoes tight, then buckled her loose-fitting belt around her hips. Her pants didn't have loops, but she liked her belt too much not to use it: wide and black with silver-ringed holes, it reminded her of what some of the characters wore in her favorite anime. Her three pokéballs were clipped to it, in the front where she could always see them. Last, she pulled on her black and white gloves, her favorite new accessory, and examined herself. 

"Call often," Mrs. Rougan said, handing over her backpack. "I'm not asking for once a night, but, you know..." 

"I will." Chiori slid her bag over her shoulders. 

Her mother kissed her forehead. "Just be careful. And good luck!" 

Dr. Rougan patted Chiori's back as she followed him to his car. "If your fellow trainers aren't using Devon brand equipment, you set them straight," he said jokingly, climbing in. "Sure you don't want a ride?" 

"No thanks. I'm only going to the trainers' academy." She waved at her parents and started down the sidewalk, breathing in the morning air. She wanted to run, but didn't think it would look very nice to meet Kouta while out of breath. 

As promised, he was waiting outside the school, also equipped with a backpack. "Hi, Chiori," he greeted. "All ready?" 

"Sure am! Are we going to have a battle first?" 

Kouta laughed. "Are you that eager? I thought we'd wait until we got out of town, at least." 

"Oh... right." She giggled. "I guess I am eager. Malik's bandage is off, and his chest is all healed." 

"That's great. How's Ralts? And your Poochyena?" 

"I don't know about Ralts. She doesn't like to be out her ball for very long. The pokémon center said she was fine, but I'm still worried." They began walking north. "But Isis evolved! She's the most beautiful Mightyena in the world!" 

"Is that so?" Kouta asked, amused. "Maybe you should enter her in a pokémon contest." 

"Contest? For what?" 

"There are different kinds, but one is a beauty contest," Kouta explained. "It's just like it sounds, and winners are recognized all over the country. It's pretty competitive and popular." 

"Well, that might be fun." Chiori noticed that they were coming up on tall grass and flowering shrubs, and looked over her shoulder at Rustboro City. "Wow, I'm really leaving," she remarked, staring at her hometown for a few seconds more. She took in a breath and faced forward again, meeting Kouta's brown eyes. 

He grinned. "I like your hair tie," he said, off-topic. 

Chiori touched the top of her ponytail. It was her other favorite accessory, next to her new gloves: an elastic band looped through a plastic charm of red cherries. She'd had it for a long time, and thought it would be nice to have a childhood memento with her. "Thanks," she said, smiling wide for reasons she couldn't determine. 

"Say," she noted as they continued on their way. "Where's your friend? Laurel?" 

Kouta sighed. "She's off doing training on her own. She wanted to come with me, but I told her my boss at the breeding center would just turn her away." 

"It's nice that she wanted to go with you, though," Chiori said. At his raised eyebrow, she added, "I'd be flattered if someone wanted to follow me around, anyway." 

"You shouldn't be. It really gets irritating." 

"Well, I wouldn't know. I've only had... one close friend." Her voice faded as she trailed off. She never even got to say farewell to Roxanne, without whom she wouldn't have been interested in journeying to begin with. 

"See that?" Kouta asked, diverting her attention from another depressing matter. He pointed to an opening in a rocky wall. "That's Rusturf Tunnel. It's kind of long, but it's a direct way to Verdanturf Town through these mountains. Then Mauville is the next town over." 

"You sure know your way around," Chiori remarked. 

"Yeah, you could say that." He grinned, waiting for her to smile back. 

"After being in Granite Cave, this seems like a walk in the park," she said as they entered the tunnel. "What kind of pokémon live in here?" 

"Oddly enough, it seems to be just Whismur," Kouta answered. "Although... I don't see any. This place is usually crawling with them." 

Chiori looked around for signs of any pokémon. "Hey... do you hear that?" 

They both paused, and Kouta craned his head up, listening. "Someone else is going through." 

"A lot of someones. And they don't exactly sound like kids training." 

Kouta frowned. "Let's investigate. Be careful." He put a finger to his lips and advanced slowly. Chiori followed him on tiptoe. They crouched behind a large rock, peering over it at the ones they'd found. 

Planted in the middle of the tunnel were three adults in matching clothes: short, hooded cloaks of dark red, sleeveless, black jumpsuits, and red boots. They were seated in a circle, as if guarding something. "I told you we shouldn't have brought it all the way here," one of them said. "Now we've just got to take it back the way we came." 

"It was a good idea to hide out in the sticks," grumbled another. "If we go back to Lilycove now, the police'll be on the lookout for it, and we'll get caught." 

"Why the hell are we wearing our uniforms, anyway?" asked the third. "If we were in disguise, we wouldn't have to hide in the first place." 

Chiori opened her mouth, wanting to ask Kouta if he knew what they were doing. She looked at him for any sign of what to do, but he was staring at the trio, gaping in shock. "What?" she whispered. 

"They didn't..." he mumbled, slowly reaching into one of his pants' many pockets. 

"Kouta...?" Chiori reached out a hand, but he leapt out from behind the rock. 

"What do you think you're doing?" he shouted to the three men. He clutched a pokéball in his right hand. 

"Mind your own business, kid," one of them grunted. None of them seemed too worried to stand. 

"I'm making it my business. What are you doing with that orb?" 

Chiori peaked over the rock again. Now that the men had shifted to get a look at Kouta, she could see a glass sphere of dark blue resting on a rumpled blanket. "Putting it away," one of the crooks answered, throwing the corners of the blanket over it and stuffing it into his duffel bag. "Now get lost." 

"I don't think so." Kouta lobbed the pokéball. "Absol! Use razor wind!" 

As soon as it materialized, his snow-white pokémon summoned little whirlwinds that grew rapidly as they gathered dust and small rocks. The uniformed men looked at one another. "Well, if that's how you want it," one said. They jumped to their feet in unison and tossed out pokéballs. "Attack him!" 

Chiori rushed out to join Kouta in an instant, yanking Isis's pokéball from her belt, feeling like a professional trainer for a second. "Use bite on them!" she ordered. 

The team members' pokémon consisted of two lazy-eyed, camel-like creatures with stumpy legs and one fierce little Poochyena. Isis snapped at the latter, which yelped, startled at seeing one of its kind attack it. The other two pokémon attempted to tackle Kouta's Absol, but it darted gracefully away, its glowing eyes never leaving the increasing whirlwinds. 

Suddenly Absol swung its head to the side violently, and the whirlwinds launched at frightening speed. The other pokémon, including Isis, were knocked off their feet, showers of dirt flying as they slid along the ground. "Isis!" Chiori shrieked. 

"Sorry!" Kouta called. Chiori raced to Isis's side, making sure she wasn't too hurt. She wasn't aware that the enemy Poochyena was advancing on her until she saw it out of the corner of her eye, leaping at her unprotected back. 

In a split second before it would have been on her, a tiny form knocked it out of the air and grappled with it on the ground beside Chiori. She didn't have time to see what it was. "Can you stand up?" she asked Isis, helping her off the ground. The Mightyena cringed as one of her front legs touched the surface, and she brought it up, licking around an open scrape. "Isis..." Chiori whispered, her voice choked. "Just rest in here. I'll get you to a center soon." She recalled Isis back to her ball and clipped it to her belt. "Okay, we have to do something, Malik," she said, sending out her Mawile. 

"Mmm?" Malik made an inquisitive sound in his throat, looking up at Chiori. He seemed unaware of the skirmish around him. "Go help Absol," she said to him. "Use bite, okay?" Malik took off, like a child joining friends at the playground. Chiori took the opportunity to view the one-on-one battle to her side. The Poochyena was walking in circles, staring at a little purple pokémon that had faceted, crystal-like eyes. Chiori recognized it as Sableye, another Granite Cave inhabitant. 

"Numel! Use magnitude!" one of the thieves ordered. His yellow pokémon stood up on its hind legs, then thundered its front ones to the ground. The tunnel floor quaked, but Kouta's Absol jumped into the air, almost flying. Little Malik, running into battle, lost his balance instantly and tumbled over with a cry. 

The Numel's trainer chuckled. "Use ember and burn it," he said. Numel spat a small fire around the fallen Mawile, who squealed in pain and confusion. 

"Malik!" Chiori felt tears in her eyes. Metal appendages were not meant to be exposed to flame. She called Malik back to his ball, holding it against her lips. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I don't mean for you to get hurt all the time." 

In the meantime, Kouta's attention was divided between Absol and Sableye. The latter had won its fight with the Poochyena, whose trainer recalled it dejectedly. "Use shadow ball!" Kouta told it. "Absol, behind you! Quick attack!" 

Sableye threw a formless, black blob at one of the Numel while Absol rammed its body into the other. Squeezing Malik's pokéball, Chiori sent in her last hope, her vengeance for Isis's and Malik's injuries. "Come on, Mai! Confusion!" she commanded, caught up in the moment. 

"Chiori, don't!" Kouta shouted. "I can handle this! Don't expose Ralts to this kind of danger!" 

"I'm not going to stand by after what happened to my pokémon! Mai?" She noticed that no confusion was taking place. Her Ralts stood still, as if ignoring her. 

"Chiori!" Kouta's tone sounded almost scolding. 

"Three against two is a little unfair!" declared one of the men. "Numel, ember it and even things back out." 

"Ralts!" Chiori cried, feeling awkward about not calling her by name. As Numel spit its fire attack, Ralts split into two -- or so it appeared. She moved so fast it seemed there were two of her, and Numel's attack missed completely. 

"Shadow ball!" Kouta ordered. Another of Sableye's shadowy blobs engulfed Ralts's attacker. The Numel fainted on the spot. Cursing, its trainer recalled it. 

"Now what's unfair?" Kouta grinned darkly at the two thieves. 

"I'd say us buying some time with a battle while our friend got away with our treasure," one of them replied with a smirk. "Thanks, kids. Numel, return!" He recalled the remaining pokémon while the other tossed something to the ground. A wall of smoke blinded Chiori and Kouta, and, after several minutes when it faded, the uniformed men had completely vanished. 

"Damn it," Kouta growled. "One of us could have grabbed the bag while they were all battling." 

"I should have thought of that," Chiori mumbled. "I wasn't any help otherwise." 

"Yes, you were. But those guys were good, creating such a chaotic battle so we wouldn't have time to think of anything else." 

"They got away, and my pokémon got hurt," Chiori continued in a quiet voice. "I don't even know why we were fighting. I didn't think my journey would be like this." 

"Hey." Kouta's voice softened, and he stepped up to Chiori and put his hands on her shoulders. "Nothing is your fault. Like I said, those guys knew how to create a diversion, and their pokémon were a lot stronger than yours. Almost as strong as mine." He shook her gently until she looked him in the eye. "You've had yours for a few weeks. I've had mine for a few _years_. Maybe they have, too. You're a novice, and you're allowed to make mistakes." 

"But--" Chiori started to say, her voice catching. She didn't know how to refute. 

"Now let's hurry to the Verdanturf pokémon center," Kouta said. "There's no point in worrying about those guys now." 

Chiori nodded as Kouta smiled, his hands on her shoulders for a few seconds longer. Then he turned away to recall Absol and Sableye. Chiori did the same for her Ralts, who had been looking around the tunnel curiously. 

They ran the rest of the way through the tunnel until they came out to the fresh, grassy town of Verdanturf. Chiori insisted they keep running to the center, where she handed over her pokéballs to the nurse, unable to request healing for lack of breath. The nurse smiled knowingly as she took Kouta's pokéballs as well, and bade them a good rest, too. Finally relieved, Chiori headed for a restroom to wash up. 

"Feel better?" Kouta asked as she met him in front of the cafeteria. 

She nodded. "I wanted to say... thank you for your help. I'm glad you were with me... otherwise I might have been in serious trouble with those three." 

"We'll do lots of training together before you set out on your own," Kouta said. "I only wish I could go with you." 

"Me too." Chiori's cheeks turned as pink as her hair. Kouta smiled wide. 


	6. Falter! The One Who Loves You Most!

Another short chapter, though this has some significant backstory. The thing with Ralts? It happened in my Ruby game, and was the first plot point I developed for this story.  
What does everyone think so far? Any critiques or suggestions? More action is coming up soon -- this is a 26-chapter fic. I'm still building up to some excitement.  
P-Z

**Chapter 6  
Falter! The One Who Loves You Most!**

Chiori couldn't stop pacing. From time to time she glanced at Kouta, who would raise his eyebrows in return. The wait was maddening, and all Chiori could think about was blaming herself.

The nurse at the front desk called for her. "Your Mawile will be all right," she informed the girl. "He wasn't seriously burned, just overheated. Make sure he takes it easy and gets plenty of rest for the next few days." She handed Malik's pokéball to Chiori. "And, as a word of advice, start off slow if you want to train him. He's too inexperienced for the kind of battle he was put through."

Chiori nodded numbly. Kouta thanked the nurse, and Chiori mumbled similar words. Kouta led her outside. "At least he's okay," he said encouragingly. "Don't look so worried."

"He might be scarred for life now," Chiori said. "I can only imagine what that must have been like... poor Malik..."

"That's part of training," said Kouta. "He'll be on his guard now, and you'll be sure not to send him to fight a pokémon against which he's doubly weak." He smiled gently at her novice mistake.

Chiori didn't smile back. Nor had she clipped Malik's ball back to her belt.

"I need to stop by the pokémart," Kouta informed her. "Need anything?"

"I don't know," Chiori answered distantly. "I think I'll just wait out here for awhile." She paused by a concrete bench.

"Okay." Kouta nodded, sympathetic. "I'll be back in a bit."

Chiori waited until he was gone, then let Malik out on the bench beside her. The little Mawile yawned, looked up at his trainer and smiled. "Oh, Malik," she said softly, petting his head. She peeled off a glove to touch his steel jaw -- completely cool, no trace of having been scorched.

"What a nice Mawile." A young woman passing by stopped to remark on the scene. She was professionally dressed, grey blazer matching her skirt, but her long, wavy hair was unbound. "I've never seen one act this way. They're usually pretty fierce."

She set her shopping bags on the sidewalk and bent down, face-to-face with him. Malik blinked his huge red eyes a few times, then squeaked a Mawile giggle. The woman giggled in return, standing up straight again. "He's very happy," she said to Chiori. "From the way you were touching his headpiece, it's easy to tell you really trust him, and that makes him trust you. He adores you."

Chiori stared at her. "What's wrong?" the woman asked, immediately sitting down.

"I..." Chiori started to say. "My friend and I were in the tunnel..." The story came pouring out in bits and pieces. Chiori was aware she wasn't making much sense, but her listener nodded, prompting her to continue. "They said at the center that he's all right, but I don't know, they just meant physically... he was hurt by other Mawile where I found him, just because he's... different..." The impact of her words sank in. Chiori choked back a sob.

The woman patted her back. "It seems to me that he's grateful -- you saved him from the other Mawile, and you rushed him to the center when he got hurt in battle. He knows you'll always be there to take care of him."

Chiori sniffed. "Really?"

She nodded. "Does he have a nickname?"

"Malik." At the sound of his name, the Mawile squeaked.

"And how about you?" she asked the girl.

"Me? My name's Chiori."

"I'm Selene," the woman said. "I'm trained in pokémon behavior and relationships. Usually I can tell after about a minute what a pokémon's personality and feelings are."

"You can?" Chiori's self-pity gave way to fascination. "That's, like, your job?"

"It sure is. I'm still in graduate school, but I know a lot about pokémon. Some of it comes naturally."

"Would you do me a favor?" At Selene's nod, Chiori unclipped her other pokéballs from her belt. She sent out her Mightyena first. "This is Isis, my first pokémon. I didn't really catch her... she was following my big brother around, and he sort of ordered her to stay with me."

Selene smiled, holding out her hand for Isis to investigate. "She's lovely. Look how shiny her coat is."

"She's always taking a bath," Chiori supplied.

"By herself?" Isis cocked her head and licked a paw hastily. Selene watched, amazed. "I've never seen a Mightyena do that. For most trainers, it's the 'tough' member of a team, not the clean one."

"Isis is different. Like Malik." Chiori felt a wave of pride rising within her.

"She's very happy," Selene analyzed. "She knows you respect her individuality, that she can act like herself around you. Have you battled with her?"

"A few times, yeah."

"That's good. She doesn't seem like she enjoys it, but she probably does it out of gratitude. And it would be a waste not to use her natural strength to her trainer's advantage." Selene smiled. "You have some unique pokémon. Who else do I get to meet?" She glanced at the last ball.

"Well..." Chiori released her final team member. The Ralts formed beside Isis, but she didn't make any movements. "She's the one I really wanted you to see. Ralts are psychic-types, right? Shouldn't she know how much I've wanted her?"

"Of course. That's the only way you can catch one."

"I didn't catch her. I traded for her."

Selene's face became grave. "Chiori... Ralts are special pokémon. They're rarely seen with humans, because not everyone can capture one. A Ralts chooses its trainer, not the other way around."

Chiori remembered the Ralts that emerged just for Wally. "So... I couldn't find one because..." She didn't know how to finish.

"Besides that, whomever traded this one to you has severed the bond Ralts tried to form. It's not that she doesn't know you want her... she's more upset that the trainer she chose _didn't_ want her."

Chiori was stricken by a powerful sorrow, stronger than her earlier fears for Malik. Was Kouta that negligent, that cruel? To leave Ralts stored in a computerized database for so long, only to discard her to a stranger?

Selene picked up on Chiori's worries. "Hopefully she'll come to realize that you're trustworthy. Let her spend time with Malik and Isis, so they can influence her. You're very empathic, Chiori. If I can tell that from talking with you for a few minutes, a psychic pokémon will realize it in no time."

"Thank you, Miss Selene," the girl said, beaming.

"You're welcome." She rose, smoothing her skirt and picking up her shopping bags. "I'd better get home, though. My natural empathy tells me my pokémon want their lunch."

Chiori waved as Selene left, then got out her pokédex to look up information on Ralts. _Little is known about this pokémon,_ it read, just as vague as Roxanne's book. Idly, Chiori switched views to read her Ralts's registration data: nicknamed "Ralts" by default, female, met on Route 103, O.T. Amelia M.

The last part caught Chiori's eye. "Amelia?" she said aloud.

Kouta had mentioned a pokémon catching contest, to see who could have the most in his record. Surely there was trading involved, as well? Did this Amelia, ignorant of Ralts's selection process, trade Ralts to Kouta for another record?

"Mai," Chiori whispered. To have chosen a trainer by mistake... at least Malik's difficult past had a happy ending.

"Hey, Chiori." Kouta's voice made her jump. She shut off her pokédex and tossed it in her backpack. "Hi, everyone," Kouta greeted the pokémon. "Enjoying the fresh air?" Isis's tongue lolled out with contentment, and Malik squeaked, but Ralts turned her head to the side.

"Here." Kouta handed Chiori an unopened pack of six pokéballs. "And these, too." A small box of twenty health-restoring potions. "I feel a little responsible. Those will help avoid a situation like that."

"Thanks." Chiori smiled appreciatively. Kouta ran his fingers through his hair, looking embarrassed.

They decided to explore the town, since Chiori was feeling better. Verdanturf was more like a quaint village, filled with friendly people and fresh, clean air. Chiori thought about Wally again, the sickly boy who wanted to be a pokémon trainer more than anything. He was supposed to be recuperating at his relatives' house. Chiori wished she had gotten the address.

Verdanturf consisted mainly of residences, but there was a small pokémon center and supply shop. There was also one very large building, a classical structure with brick walls and white pillars. Several trainers with pokémon hung around near the steps, and, out of all the faces, Chiori found one she recognized. "Brendan!" she called out.

The silver-haired boy ran up to her. "Hi, Chiori! What are you doing here?"

"Passing through, mainly. This is my friend Kouta." She introduced the two. "Kouta, this is Brendan. I met him the same weekend Roxanne and I went on our trip."

"Check that out." Brendan pointed to the large building. "A pokémon contest hall. I just found out about it... contests are almost as popular as battles."

"Contests?" Chiori asked. "For what?"

"Different stuff. You enter a certain type, and you have to do a trained performance with one pokémon. It sounds neat, anyway. I signed up for tomorrow with... hey, where did she go?" Brendan spun in a circle, apparantly searching.

From seemingly nowhere, a little pokémon pounced him, nearly sending him to the ground. Brendan laughed as he regained his balance, holding onto his attacker. "This is my Skitty. She's going to dominate the cuteness contest. Did you see that adorable tackle? I didn't even order it!" He gushed and nuzzled Skitty's pink fur.

"Absolutely precious." Kouta grinned with amusement.

Chiori petted the Skitty. "She looks so soft."

"She is!" Brendan said, enthused by the attention. "I won't let her battle. I don't want her to--"

"Kouta-samaaa!" All was interrupted by a shout, a protest, and a crash. Skitty hissed and leapt from Brendan's arms. Chiori's hands flew to her mouth as she saw Kouta pinned to the ground by an enthusiastic Laurel.

"Now _that's_ a tackle attack," Brendan remarked.

"Kouta!" Chiori exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

He groaned and sat up slowly. "Hi, Laurel."

"I'm so glad you're here!" Laurel said, hugging him. "You can see Sakura and me in the contest tomorrow!"

"I really have to get to Mauville--"

"Please? It's my first one! It would mean so much if you were there!"

Kouta sighed. "All right. We'll see."

"Yay!" Laurel hugged him again, so fiercely that he fell onto his back a second time. "No one's cuter than Sakura! Except Kouta-sama, but it's a _pokémon_ contest."

Chiori looked at Brendan. "Cuteness contest?" she asked.

"That's right," Laurel answered her. "What are _you_ doing in Verdanturf? Do you have contest-worthy pokémon?"

"I do!" Everything about Laurel suddenly offended Chiori. "In fact, I'm entering the contest, too! My Malik is far cuter than your Sakura, whoever that is!"

"Is that what you think?" Laurel released Kouta, sea-green eyes flashing. "Well, I guess we'll find out tomorrow, won't we?" She jumped to her feet, tugging on Kouta's hand. "Come on, let's go have lunch. Then we'll go to Mauville together. It's not that far."

Kouta dusted himself off hastily. "See you tomorrow, Chiori," he said as Laurel pulled him away. "Nice to meet you, Brendan."

Chiori tried to tell them to wait, but she could see that wouldn't accomplish anything. "'Bye!" she called helplessly instead. What had happened to "she can't come with me to the breeding center"?

Brendan waved. "That was interesting," he commented.

"Show me where to sign up," Chiori said, eyes fixed in the direction in which Laurel and Kouta had departed.

---

She felt nervous. In fact, it was the most nerve-wracking experience Chiori had ever experienced. She'd never willingly climbed on a stage in front of a huge audience -- at her middle school graduation ceremony, she'd crossed the stage in a handful of seconds. That didn't count. This was a contest of appearance and attitude, looks and skills. This was Laurel's place, and, from the excited look on his face, Brendan's as well. Though she felt as if she towered over everyone else and looked conspicuous and awkward, Chiori reminded herself she was doing this for Malik's sake.

Before the big event took place, she had strolled around the lobby with her three pokémon out of their balls. "Take a good look," she told them. "We might be back here another time. I bet all three of you could win a different contest." She approached a wall of photographs, past winners. "There's a beauty contest," she noted, patting Isis's head. The Mightyena grinned, her tongue hanging out happily. Beside her, Ralts was staring into space.

"Hmm..." Chiori studied the wall of fame. "Cool contest? Smart contest? There you go, Mai... psychic-types are the smartest pokémon around, right?"

Ralts didn't acknowledge her. "Mai?" she tried again. "Ralts?"

Isis whined softly, concerned. Only then did Ralts turn her head and glance Chiori's way, eyes hidden by her green hair.

"Your name is Mai now," Chiori said to her. "I don't care if I can't have it registered. You're a unique pokémon, and you deserve a name of your own. Mai." Ralts didn't turn away, which Chiori decided to interpret as a good sign.

A broadcast over the wall-mounted speakers informed everyone that the cuteness contest was about to begin. "Wish Malik luck, you two," Chiori said. Isis bent her head down and nuzzled the giggling Mawile. Ralts just stood there, but she did move her head to look in Malik's direction. Chiori returned them to their balls and caught up with Brendan so she could walk with him onstage.

The announcer introduced each of the four trainers and his or her pokémon, and the crowd's initial reaction to the contestants was noted by the judges. Brendan's Skitty received a unanimous _awww_, and Laurel's Sakura, a Corsola, got some applause -- praise for a unique entrant. Malik, however, was met with apprehension; as Chiori had feared, people were distracted from his cuteness by the huge steel jaw. Malik's reaction points were probably tied with the fourth trainer's Gulpin.

Everyone showed off different moves for three rounds. Chiori, third in line, had no idea what this meant until Laurel, the first, had Sakura use mirror coat, which sounded like the name of an attack. Brendan's Skitty growled cutely, a move so adorable in its lack of threat that the audience swooned as almost one voice.

"Okay," Chiori said to Malik, who waited at her feet. "When I tell you to bite, pretend like you're playing with my old stuffed Teddiursa. Remember when you found that in my closet?" The Mawile looked thoughtful, as if he understood.

However, while Chiori thought his biting move was playfully cute, the audience was startled, watching the jaw clamp the air with a loud snap. Afterwards, the Gulpin's yawn was well-received, even if several spectators yawned back.

Malik's other performances weren't helping his place. His fake tears weren't nearly as impressive as Sakura's refresh or Skitty's tail whip, which involved chasing her tail in frantic circles. The winner was obvious before the final round was over. Chiori sat with Malik in her lap as Brendan and Skitty put on their final show. "First a hard battle, now this." She sighed. "I guess I rush into everything."

Malik gave a little sigh too, but nestled his head in her chest. He looked up at her, reassurance in his ruby eyes. Chiori broke into a big smile. "We'll try again," she said. "Someday you'll get that ribbon for being the cutest pokémon alive."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a couple of women in the audience watching her, hands over their hearts, looking absolutely moved. She smiled at them and scratched Malik's long ears.

Skitty was declared the winner. Chiori and Malik both applauded, the latter looking amused at the act of clapping his paws together. The Gulpin's trainer left the stage quickly; he'd seemed out of sorts throughout the entire contest, obviously put out by his newfound rivals. Laurel, despite being announced second runner-up, crossed her arms and pouted. Chiori wondered what she had to be so moody about. As far as the judges were concerned, her Sakura was far cuter than Malik.

"Third place goes to Chiori's Malik!" the announcer called, pulling a surprised Chiori out of her speculation. She jumped out of her chair without meaning to, blushing and waving while everyone applauded politely. Malik, in her arms, bowed a little, thoroughly pleased.

"That was a great effort," Brendan said to Chiori as they left the stage. "Malik _is_ cute, but, y'know... performance is the main thing."

"Yeah," Chiori agreed. "I didn't know what I was getting into. But we'll be ready next time. Right, Malik?" He mewed in agreement.

"That was a lot of fun," Brendan went on as they paused before the crowd in the lobby. His cheeks were flushed. "Maybe I'll enter Treecko in another... I should catch a certain pokémon for _each_ contest! Now I see why so many people are into it! This is way cooler than battling!"

Laurel whisked past them without a word. "You certainly deserved to win," Chiori told Brendan, watching the petite girl out of the corner of her eye.

"Maybe, but her Corsola was way powerful. I only caught Skitty two days ago!" He laughed, but it faded as he looked around nervously. "I wish Wally had come," he said. "I stopped by his uncle's house yesterday, but he told me Wally needed to be resting when he wasn't out training his Ralts." He sighed. "His aunt and uncle are just as bad as his parents, never letting him do anything."

"At least you got to see him, though," Chiori said. "Was it that important he come to the contest?"

Brendan's cheeks became noticeably more red. At Chiori's raised eyebrow, he changed the subject. "Hey, I wonder if that guy's here... Kouta?"

Her attention was instantly diverted. "You know, I didn't see him," she said. With all the excitement, she had forgotten to look for him. Obviously he had to work, or he would have sought her out after the show.

And Laurel would have been at his side instantly. No wonder she had been so perturbed. Chiori couldn't hide her pleased smile. 


	7. Gain! Chiori's Examination!

Well, I'm back at it.  
The Mad Tortoise: Romance brewing? Could be... we'll find out. The homicidal, Rod-wielding Mawiles is a very amusing image.  
WildTotodile: Heehee, thanks. I share Chiori's trend of naming my pokémon after anime characters.  
Domingo: Thanks for checking back. I hope you won't be disappointed.  
P-Z

**Chapter 7  
Gain! Chiori's Examination!**

_Hi Big Brother! I'm in Mauville now. It's really cool here. There are so many more shops than in Rustboro! I wish I'd brought more money._

Chiori paused in her email and looked around the bustling pokémon center. The checkup she'd requested for her three wouldn't be complete for some time. The center's PC stations were all occupied, too. She felt a little conspicuous, but concentrated on her letter.

_Isis is doing very well. She's still my strongest battler, when she allows her fur to get messy, that is. I just entered Malik in a cuteness contest, but it didn't turn out that great. He really enjoyed it, though, so we'll be entering again after some special training. And Mai... she's the same as ever._

I'm considering challenging the gym leader here. I wish I could train with you. The only wild pokémon I've seen lately are Zigzagoon, but I don't like asking strangers if I can battle with them. My friend Kouta is busy, too. He has a summer job.

Chiori stared at the last line. She'd just emailed Kouta before Midori. It felt strange to mention a boy to her brother, but she didn't want to delete it.

_Well, I just wanted to let you know I'm fine. Hope you're taking care of yourself, too. Write back! Love, Chiori._

She sent it and looked around again. Her pokémon were still waiting for their checkup. She began to write another email, one that had been forming in her mind for several days.

_Dear Roxanne,_ she typed, staring at the name for a moment before the right words came to her.

_Hi! I'm in Mauville City. I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodbye before I left, but I knew you were busy, so I didn't want to disturb you. How are your Nosepass and Aron? Malik's great, still as sweet as ever. Is your summer class fun? Maybe I can enroll in that next year. Well, take care. I miss you._

She sent it before she could change her mind about typing what she really wanted to say. At least Roxanne would know she was thinking about her.

Chiori tapped a gloved finger on her chin, wondering how else she could kill time. She'd emailed Kouta, her dad, Midori, and Roxanne. It crossed her mind that she still wore her gloves, even to type, and she held both hands out, admiring them. She really liked the contrast of black fingers to white palms.

She could look up information on Kouta's breeding center... but it probably wouldn't say much about the employees, let alone the interns. But now the search engine was open, waiting for a query. _I'm mildly curious, and I have to pass the time somehow,_ she thought, entering a phrase that had been stuck in her head since the day she'd seen it: "Van the Absol," Kouta's email address.

There were countless results for the pokémon Absol, and quite a few for an anime character named Van, but only one for VantheAbsol, on which Chiori clicked hastily. The link took her to a message board, which appeared to be for an online role-playing game. She scrolled through a thread, noticing that all of Van's posts were answered by one Sakura Corsola. Surely that was Laurel.

The characters of Van and Sakura were apparantly a couple. Obviously one had invited the other to this message board after they had met the first time. Some of the other board members seemed to be Laurel's friends, so she must have invited Kouta. Chiori checked Van's user info. His hobbies included studying and ghost stories, and his most recent post was from December of the previous year. He must have gotten too busy with school to role-play.

Chiori found herself smirking, but also staring at Laurel's screen name. _How dare she use "Sakura,"_ she thought, her smirk fading. _Cherry blossoms are_ my _favorite._

"Chiori?" One of the attendants approached her from behind. "Your pokémon are ready."

"Oh!" She quickly closed the browser and followed the attendant. Maybe she shouldn't have spent so much time looking at that message board... but she did feel as though she really learned a few things. She was happier to have her three pokémon back in her hands, though; now it was time for some serious training.

---

"It was so awful!" Chiori lamented, banging her forehead on the counter. "Why does this keep happening? First that battle in Rusturf Tunnel, then that contest, now this!"

Kouta patted her shoulder. "It's all right. No one expects you to do everything perfectly."

"But I completely blew that gym battle! It was humiliating! Why can't I do anything right?" She looked at Kouta helplessly.

"Chiori," he said with a reassuring smile, "you _just started_ as a trainer. You don't have just one pokémon to concentrate on, either. It'll take awhile before you can beat a gym leader, or win a contest."

"It didn't take Brendan long! He told me he'd had his Skitty for _two days._ And he was up against Laurel, who'd had her Corsola for _years!_"

Kouta laughed. "Well, _I'd_ pick a Skitty trained by a teenage boy as the cutest."

Chiori couldn't help but giggle.

"But about that gym battle," Kouta said, "if you're serious about that kind of thing, you have to build a full team with different strengths against different types. You've got dark, steel, and psychic -- none of which are particularly effective against Wattson's electric-types."

"Oh," Chiori said. "So I should have lots of pokémon for each trainer or gym leader I meet?"

"That's usually what people do." Kouta looked at his watch. "My break's almost over."

"I didn't mean to bother you," Chiori apologized.

"You haven't been, don't worry."

"Are you sure it's okay that I'm in here?" She looked around the tidy lobby of the breeding center. It was a lot more traditional than the pokécenter, no PCs lining the wall or a complicated computer station at the desk.

"It's fine," said Kouta with a grin. "I like the company."

Chiori felt her cheeks get warm. "Really?"

"I told Laurel she couldn't come because I know she'd never leave." Kouta rolled his eyes, and Chiori laughed again.

"Excuse me." A girl Chiori's age came to stand next to her. "I couldn't help overhearing that you lost to Wattson."

"Um, yeah." Chiori glanced at Kouta, mortified.

"I can trade you a pokémon that's guaranteed to be strong against Wattson's team," the girl said.

"Trade?" Again Chiori's heart sank at the thought of parting with Malik, Isis, or Mai.

"I'm looking for an Electrike. I can't seem to find one. If you catch one for me, I'll trade you my Breloom. What do you say?"

Kouta nodded. "Breloom is a grass- and fighting-type. It would be a good addition to your team."

"Okay!" Chiori agreed.

"Great! Call me when you get an Electrike, and we'll trade right away." She wrote down her cell phone number.

"Chiori, are you staying at the center?" Kouta asked. "I'll stop by and see you after I get off work."

"Sure!" Chiori brightened. A chance for a strong pokémon and a visit from Kouta -- this day wasn't turning out so bad after all.

---

"She was right. Electrike _are_ hard to find. I've been looking since I left the breeding center," Chiori commented as she and Kouta waded through the tall grasses below Mauville that evening.

"It's probably the bikers," Kouta said, looking up at Cycling Road. It was built as a bridge over the lake between Mauville and Slateport, and it cast an overpowering shadow on the training area below.

"That seems awfully showy," Chiori decided, staring at it.

"That's progress." Kouta shrugged. "Let's move closer to the lake."

"I wonder why she couldn't just catch one and add to her team," Chiori said as they walked on.

"Hmm?"

"That girl, Lisa. Why does she want to trade me for something I don't have yet? Why couldn't she find her own Electrike?"

"She said she couldn't. Maybe she has other things to do, and can't hunt for pokémon all day."

"Maybe..."

"Hey, look," Kouta whispered. Drinking from the edge of the lake was an Electrike, green and dog-like.

"Excellent." Chiori held out a pokéball, releasing her Ralts. The Electrike turned around to face them, sensing a challenge. It growled, and Ralts recoiled, frightened.

"Don't be scared, Mai!" Chiori called. "Use confusion!" Ralts remained still, trembling.

"Chiori!" Kouta scolded. "You still haven't trained her? And you sent her out to battle this wild pokémon?"

"I don't want to hurt it too much!" Chiori snapped in her defense. The Electrike began charging. "Mai!" she shrieked. She would have run to Ralts's aid had Kouta not grabbed her arm. Electrike jumped right through an afterimage of Ralts -- she'd used double team on her own.

"Good job, Mai!" Chiori said with relief. "Now quick, confusion!"

Ralts became still, and her pinkish-red horns glowed soft blue. Electrike's growls ceased as it stumbled, sparks fizzling from its fur. Chiori saw the opportunity and lobbed a pokéball at it. The ball wobbled wildly for over a minute before it lay still.

"We did it!" she exclaimed. "She listened to me!" She raced to the spot to claim her capture, kneeling before Ralts. "Thank you, Mai! See? You did this." She held the sphere out for Ralts to see.

The little psychic pokémon looked up at her trainer. For the first time, Chiori could see large, dark pink eyes through the green hair. They were filled with fear.

"Mai," Chiori whispered. "I know battles are scary, but you have powerful psychic abilities. If we train together, we'll be unstoppable." She felt like she was echoing Kouta's earlier sympathy. "You did great just now. That double team was really smart."

She thought she could see a tiny smile, a sparkle in the nearly-hidden eyes. But Ralts's expression became sad again as some greater emotion overtook her. Chiori heard Kouta approaching.

"We should hurry back," he said. "It's getting dark."

"Yeah. Come on, Mai." Chiori recalled her to her ball. Concern for her Ralts replaced any happiness for a quest ended.

"I hope this Breloom you're getting will obey you better," Kouta said, breaking the silence.

Chiori stared at him. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, now you'll have four pokémon to train. It would certainly be easier if your new one behaves."

Chiori frowned. He had a point... however... "Kouta," she said, "do you know about Ralts? Not Mai, but Ralts in general?"

"I know they're rarely seen by humans," he answered innocently.

"Did your friend Amelia know? Was she aware that Mai trusted her before she traded her to you?"

"No, she didn't." Kouta's voice was subdued.

"Why did you let her?"

He took a deep breath. "Obviously, Amelia had no idea what it meant to have a Ralts. I couldn't bring myself to tell her. I thought I'd keep her, train her myself, but--"

"But you promised her to Laurel," Chiori interrupted. "Of _all people._ Then you just gave her to me when we'd known each other for two minutes. How could you do all that?"

"You don't think it's worked out for the best?" Kouta retorted. "Amelia never cared, and Laurel didn't care _what_ pokémon it was, as long as she got it from me. That Ralts is with the best person now. Doesn't that make you happy?"

"Why did you promise her to Laurel in the first place? Mai's not a toy, and I know she's upset because she's been treated like one!"

"Chiori." Kouta stopped walking, stared directly at her. "That was a long time ago. I didn't know Laurel then like I know her now. There's no point in bringing up the past. No one can change it."

"But--"

Kouta held up his hand. "What you can do is be good to Ralts -- to Mai. Give her the love I was too busy to give. And, if you can make her understand, tell her I'm sorry."

Chiori stared back at him for a minute. "Okay," she agreed.

Kouta sighed, smiling. "Thank you. You're a really good person, Chiori. You're a good influence."

She laughed. "You're not a good person?"

"I never said that."

When they got to the center, Chiori called Lisa to come over. They did their trade on a machine upstairs, just like when Kouta had traded Ralts to her. Lisa thanked her profusely, wished her luck with the Breloom, and left to go home.

"Breloom, huh?" Chiori said to Kouta. She released it from the ball, looking up its registration data: Nicknamed Shiitake, female, met in Petalburg Woods, O.T. Lisa K.

"Shiitake?" Chiori asked with a smile at her new pokémon. The Breloom stood on two feet, with a wide bottom and slender neck. Her head was topped with what looked like a large mushroom. She was only a few inches shorter than Chiori.

"Hi there, Shiitake. I'm your new trainer, Chiori." She held out a hand, feeling silly for being formal. The Breloom gave a happy-sounding squeak and shook Chiori's hand with both paws. "Aww!" she gushed. "Look, Kouta! She's so cute!"

Kouta grinned. "You'd find anything cute, wouldn't you?"

Chiori giggled, feeling relieved. Shiitake seemed quite friendly and agreeable. She was certain they'd get along without any problem.

---

"So, back again, huh?" Wattson greeted with a good-natured laugh. "Good for you, girl! Never give up!"

"You'd better believe it," said Chiori. She was feeling confident now.

"All right, then. Three pokémon each?"

"Yeah." Chiori matched Wattson's smile. Though he was elderly and good-tempered, he commanded tough pokémon, and had no qualms about paralyzing his opponents. That was the tactic which cost Chiori the first battle; with each of her pokémon completely impaired, they'd had no choice but to take Wattson's attacks. This time, Chiori had stocked up on special paralysis medicine, but she was counting on Shiitake for an advantage.

Wattson nodded to his judge, who stood on the sidelines. "Ready?" the judge called. "Begin!" He chopped the air with his arm.

The gym leader sent out his Voltorb. Chiori's mind raced. She'd only had three pokémon before this match. Now she was going to have to choose who to eliminate. Ralts was the obvious choice, but Malik was still inexperienced, and weak to electric attacks. She'd have to decide later, though. "Go, Isis!" she shouted, flinging a pokéball. The Mightyena was sure to handle herself. "Use sand-attack!"

Wattson laughed. "Sorry, girl, I don't make a habit of keeping my gym dirty!"

Chiori groaned as she looked down at the spotless yellow tiles. She heard the Voltorb charging its electricity, making itself ready to give Isis a powerful shock. "Tackle it!" she ordered. "Tackle it hard!"

Voltorb had the body of an oversized pokéball, a normally inanimate object. Isis's tackle did little besides roll it around, and it responded by giving her a zap. She yelped and jumped back, shaking her fur, which stood on end. "Bite it!" Chiori called. The Mightyena obeyed, but couldn't sink her teeth into Voltorb's hard shell of a body. Nonetheless, it flinched, startled by the attack.

_How do you beat up an oversized plastic ball?_ Chiori wondered desperately. She debated sending out Ralts to confuse it, but the chance of that actually working was slim. Distracting it somehow seemed to be the only way to gain an advantage, though -- its body was just too strong.

"Get ready for a sonicboom!" Wattson announced.

"Tackle it into the wall, Isis!" Chiori ordered. The Mightyena slammed into Voltorb again, rolling it to the side. Voltorb, while not moving to attack, caused a wall-shaking explosion that knocked Isis over. Chiori shrieked and covered her ears.

Wattson smiled as the sonicboom subsided, and pulled plugs from his ears. "Don't you remember that from last time?" he asked, amused.

Chiori glared at him. "Isis!" she said, whipping her head around to her pokémon. "Get that ball."

The Mightyena slammed into Voltorb again, throwing it against the wall, causing it to bounce back to the floor, spinning around. "Again!" Chiori shouted.

"Voltorb, tackle back!" Wattson called. His command went unheard as Voltorb crashed into the floor. Isis stood by, waiting for her next order, and Wattson stared at the judge.

"Voltorb is unable to battle!" the judge declared. Wattson recalled it without a comment.

"Good job, Isis!" Chiori held out her arms, smoothing her pokémon's fur as she ran to her. "Did you have fun playing with it?"

"Very clever, young lady," Wattson said. "But don't forget, my other pokémon aren't so easily defeated."

"I haven't forgotten." Chiori scratched behind Isis's ears.

"Good. Come on, Magnemite!"

Chiori smiled and sent Isis back to her pokéball. She clipped it to her belt and snatched another off, tossing into the air artfully. "Let's go, Shiitake!"

"Ahh, a Breloom," Wattson observed. "Very good choice."

"Why, thank you. Shiitake, use mach punch!"

With a determined cry, the Breloom bounded at the floating magnet pokémon and delivered a swift blow. Magnemite flipped over in mid-air, but if it was hurt, it didn't show. Wattson's object-like pokémon were becoming creepy to watch.

"Tackle it!" Wattson commanded. The Magnemite carried that out, and Shiitake skidded backwards a little, but jumped readily back to her place.

"A tackle?" Chiori asked under her breath. She then realized that an electric attack wouldn't do much against a grass-type. Plus, Shiitake's punch really seemed to do some damage. This battle was hers. "Mach punch again!"

The Breloom repeated it, and Magnemite fell to the ground. "Unable to battle!" the judge announced. Chiori jumped in the air, clapping. Lisa was insane to want to trade this pokémon.

"Well, well," said Wattson. "You're pretty lucky, girl. But it's not over yet." He held out his final pokéball.

"We'll see about that," Chiori countered. "Ready, Shiitake?"

Wattson smiled and sent out his Magneton. "You know what to do," Chiori said to her Breloom. "Mach punch!"

Shiitake leapt at the floating Magneton, but it flew up just out of her reach. She landed, gasping for breath. "Thunder wave!" Wattson called. A weak bolt of lightning struck its target perfectly. Chiori shrieked as the Breloom cried out. "Shiitake, it's okay! Use mega drain to get some energy back!"

But she was rooted to the spot, shaking. Magneton tackled her, and she could do nothing but endure it. "Shiitake!" Chiori shouted. She grabbed a bottle of paralyze heal from her pocket and raced into the battlefield as the judge called for an official time out.

"Here, drink this." Chiori fed her the medicine and rubbed the top of her mushroom-like head. "It's all right now. That thing's only like three Magnemites, right? And you beat just one easily." Shiitake trilled at her. Chiori patted her arms. "Drain some of its energy, then punch it down, okay? This match will be over in no time."

She returned to her spot, and the judge announced that the battle was commencing. "Tackle!" Wattson demanded.

Shiitake dodged, but not fast enough. "Use mega drain!" Chiori told her. But the Breloom stood still, eyes wide and fearfully fixed on Magneton as it swooped in for another tackle. "Shiitake..." Chiori whispered as her pokémon took the attack. "I healed her paralysis... why won't she battle?"

The Breloom cried out again, trembling. She had become deathly afraid of the Magneton. Chiori didn't understand, but she sympathized. "Shiitake, return!" she called, activitating her pokéball. "It'll be all right," she whispered, picking out another. "Let's go, Mai!"

"Oho?" Wattson said as the tiny Ralts appeared on the battlefield. "Is this your last choice? Are you sure?"

"You'd better believe it. Mai, use confusion!"

"Hit it with thundershock!" Wattson ordered. Magneton unleashed a bolt of lightning, which hit accurately -- however, the Ralts was no longer in one spot. She had pulled off another double team, just like in the battle with the Electrike.

"Good job, Mai!" Chiori grinned, relieved that her trust in Ralts to handle herself paid off.

"Thundershock again!" Wattson called.

"Mai, watch out!" Thankfully, the Ralts was quicker. Her horns began to glow, and Magneton meandered about in mid-air, its attack forgotten. "Thanks, Mai," Chiori said, recalling her. "That was just what I needed. Come back out, Shiitake!" Once again, the Breloom was back in action.

"I don't know what you're playing at, girl," said Wattson. "Your pokémon aren't trained well enough."

She ignored him. "Shiitake, listen! I don't know if you saw, but Mai stood up to this thing! She even made it confused! Whatever you're afraid of, just forget about it and remember that you're really strong!"

"Don't waste your breath," Wattson advised. "Otherwise you leave yourself wide open for a thundershock."

"You can do it, Shiitake! Mach punch!"

Roused by Chiori's speech, the Breloom charged at her perplexed opponent. Her punch connected, but not before Magneton unleashed its stored voltage in one overcharged thundershock. With that combined effort plus Shiitake's massive blow, it floated to the ground, its energy spent. However, because she had been in contact with it, Shiitake absorbed most of the lightning. She, too, collapsed to the floor. Chiori held her breath.

"Neither pokémon are unable to battle!" the judge called. "All of the gym leader's pokémon are defeated! Victory goes to the challenger!"

But Chiori barely heard him as she ran to Shiitake's side. The Breloom's skin was charred in places, and she was breathing shallowly. "You did a great job," Chiori said quietly. "I'm proud of you. We'll get to the center right away, and then you can have a long rest... just hang on."

"That's some luck you have," said Wattson, approaching her. "You might say you were the one who shocked me!" He burst out laughing.

"Thanks, but I have to get to the pokécenter right away!" Chiori stood up, holding Shiitake's ball.

"Now, hold on. Your Breloom will be fine, it's just a little tired."

"She was terrified! The sooner I get her healed, the better!" She wanted to leave this gym right away. Wattson was too impersonal, too detached... too much like Roxanne's perception of a proper gym leader.

"But you've just won your first gym battle," Wattson said. "If that's still the case, but I remember you telling me a few days ago that my gym was your first."

Chiori blinked. For as much as she was worried about Shiitake, she'd forgotten that this was the first major victory of her journey.

Wattson held out his hand. "This is a Dynamo Badge." He dropped the token into Chiori's outstretched palm. "And this is a little prize." He pulled a peculiar contraption from the pocket of his jacket: a small palm-sized cube, white with a red logo Chiori recognized as the symbol for Devon Corp. "It's a TM for shock wave."

"What's a TM?" she asked, taking it.

"Technical machine. It can teach certain pokémon an attack that normally can't be learned. This one is appropriate for electric pokémon, should you ever decide to train one."

Chiori turned the device around, staring at it. "You really did a good job," Wattson said. "Keep training hard, and you'll get into the Hoenn League for sure, girl."

Again she felt as if this was very impersonal, a battle won, a reward distributed, a speech given. She shook Wattson's hand politely. "My name's Chiori, by the way," she said, though she was sure she'd told him before.

He nodded. "Good luck, Chiori."

_Maybe he's just forgetful,_ she thought as she left. She'd already put the technical machine in her backpack, but she stared at the round yellow badge in her hand. At last, it was a start. She heaved a sigh of relief and held it tight as she raced to the pokémon center. 


End file.
